Galleon & Fish De Morgan’s Cabinet Handle Towel Pull

Galleon and Fish

Crackle glazed ceramic 43mm dia handle.
Screw in with washer and two nuts for positioning.
Supplied in branded ribbon gift box

About the Artwork
Galleon & Fish Dish is tin glazed earthenware polychrome dish (approx. 36cm diameter, 1888-1907). A two masted sailing ship and a large fish are decorated in pale blues and yellows finished with a gold lustre.
His early life in creating stain glass panels and the scientific investigations into the method of making these panels, saw his career develop to the decorative arts.

De Morgan did not invent lusterware; this ancient technique of lusterware ceramics originates in 9th Century Egypt. It was a technique that spread through Syria and the wider Middle East then Europe before being lost as a method of production for many centuries.

As well as an artist and a designer, De Morgan was also an Inventor. His glazing interest was alerted when he noticed that a kiln starved of oxygen creates a chemical reaction. It leaves a sheen of silver oxide on the surface, hence the term opaque iridescent sheen. Researching 9th century lusterware methods meant he was able to develop the production process for his own work.

Continually developing the technique, De Morgan became the world’s authority on the subject, even speaking in 1892 to the Egyptian Government on this process.