Minneapolis Institute of Art

Tile with Plant, from a set of moulded tiles

American Encaustic Tiling Co., Ltd.; Designer: Attributed to Herman Mueller

Date

c. 1885

Medium

Glazed ceramic

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This rare scene of a reclining women with birds is testament to the creative ability of Aesthetic Movement designers and manufacturers in using decorative tiles with lustrous glazes to make ceramic pictures; which are comparable in tone and quaility to painted works. While this art tile picture was once incorporated into a fireplace surround and architectural paneling, similar tiles were used for display on cabinets and table tops during the late 19th century. One can see how the taste for tiles was predicated on their aesthetic merits as well as their utility.

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