William De Morgan triple lustre Stylised Lion with a Ball tile c.1898, £5500 at Duke’s.
Particularly remarkable were a group of more than 30 different 6in (15cm) triple lustre animal tiles that were very expensive to produce, requiring multiple firings for the gold, copper and silver highlights.
Made in the late Fulham period (1897-1907) when De Morgan was working in partnership with decorators Charles and Fred Passenger and Frank Iles, all were stamped DM and dated 1898. Estimated at £2000- 4000 each, all sold for a collective total close to £100,000.
William De Morgan triple lustre Pelican and Hooked Fish tile c.1898, £4000 at Duke’s.
The selection included many rare designs including Pelican and Hooked Fish (£4000 plus 25% buyer’s premium), Penguins with Hatching Chick (£4600), Owl on the back of a Mouse (£4000) and Strutting Peacock (£4000).
William De Morgan triple lustre Owl on the back of a Mouse tile c.1898, £4000 at Duke’s.
William De Morgan triple lustre Penguins with Hatching Chick tile c.1898, £4600 at Duke’s.
Leading proceedings at Duke’s was the design known as Stylised Lion with a Ball that made £5500 (pictured top).
These were high prices but a little shy of the auction record for a single De Morgan tile. In December 2013 a Sands End period example painted in shades of blue and green with a pair of chameleons took £7200 at Woolley & Wallis, where a triple lustre tile with the Water Bird and Eel design sold at £6000 in December 2018.
