De Morgan Animals

William De Morgan met William Morris in 1863 and remained a friend for the rest of his life. A leading figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement, De Morgan was talented in many fields, particularly stained glass, pottery and tileware. An interest in Eastern tiles led to a rediscovery in the lustreware technique.

Most of these needlepoint designs have been taken from a wide selection of six-inch ceramic tiles that he made in his workshop in Chelsea in the 1870s. He later moved closer to Morris at Merton Abbey in Surrey. De Morgan’s tiles and highly glazed pottery are now in the collections of museums all over the world.