William Frend De Morgan was an English potter, tile designer and novelist. A lifelong friend of William Morris, he designed tiles, stained glass and furniture for Morris & Co. from 1863 to 1872. His tiles often recall medieval or Islamic design patterns. He applied innovative glazes and firing techniques. Galleons and fish were common motifs, as were "fantastical" birds and animals. Many of De Morgan's tiles were designed to create intricate patterns when several were laid together.
William De Morgan
Fantastic ducks on 6-inch tile with lustre highlights, Fulham period
William De Morgan (c. 1890), Sands Ends Pottery: tiles inspired by Middle East examples
Persian ware display at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or other objects such as tabletops. Alternatively, tile can sometimes refer to similar units made from lightweight materials such as perlite, wood, and mineral wool, typically used for wall and ceiling applications. In another sense, a tile is a construction tile or similar object, such as rectangular counters used in playing games. The word is derived from the French word tuile, which is, in turn, from the Latin word tegula, meaning a roof tile composed of fired clay.
Art Nouveau tiles in Brussels (Belgium)
Relief made with glazed brick tiles, from the Achaemenid decoration of Palace of Darius in Susa.
The Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran
Timurid turquoise-glazed muqarna. First half of the 15th century, Shah-i-Zinda