Mintons Brown Tiles
1875? Six-inch square tile titled "The Tortoise Which Wished To Learn To Fly." Manufactured by Minton's China Works, Stoke on Trent. Designed by John Moyr Smith. $86 from Artifacts Gallery and Custom Framing, Trenton, NJ, through Ebay, March, '99.
This is my first of Minton's series of twelve. Lovely brown and cream colors. The title is read in curious fashion, starting from nine o'clock and reading toward three o'clock, and then restarting from eight and reading toward four. The eagle looks serious and gruff, while the tortoise has his neck extended. Other birds fly elsewhere in the sky. The seller identifies the style as early Arts and Crafts.
1875? Six-inch square tile titled "The Dog and His Shadow." Manufactured by Mintons China Works, Stoke on Trent. Designed by John Moyr Smith. Framed. $150 from The Jewelsmith, Tempe, AZ, through Ebay, Jan., '00.
Again, lovely brown and cream colors. The title is read in curious fashion, starting from nine o'clock and reading toward three o'clock, and then restarting from eight and reading toward four. In the upper left and lower right, one needs to read going up; the key is to start as far left as possible and always move right. The dog has let go of his large piece of meat, the shadowy reflection of which falls just inside the image's circular frame. A railing on the bridge helps define the heavy horizontal framing of the scene, but leaves his tail above its line.
I also have a set of photographs of Minton Fable Tiles in Situ.