20th September – William De Morgan: Chelsea to Iznik

Better known as the Chelsea Potter, William De Morgan (1839 – 1917) was a ceramic designer of the Arts and Crafts and Aesthetic Movements. He made glistening lustreware pots and vase, and was well-known for his floral and animal tile designs. Despite being based in London for his whole life, De Morgan was mesmerised by ceramics of the Middle East and sought to replicate these in his fabulous pots. Lustreware from Iran, cool blue Ottoman Empire glazes, and Egyptian clay caught his attention and inspired his own ceramic practice. William De Morgan was a Victorian Ceramicist who worked locally, but looked globally for inspiration.

Find out more about William De Morgan’s love of Middle Eastern ceramics in this tour of the De Morgan Museum, with the Director, Sarah Hardy.