To celebrate the Jonathan Chiswell Jones exhibition, Director of the De Morgan Foundation, Sarah Hardy explores William De Morgan's lustreware journey.

William De Morgan’s (1839 - 1917) career in the decorative arts is a tale of boundless experimentation and scientific curiosity. De Morgan is best known today for his floral tile designs and charming animal ceramic designs, but the key role he played in the Arts and Crafts movement was his innovation with lustre glazing. His early career was influenced by his close friend William Morris who he met in 1863. Under Morris’s influence, by the late 1860s he had turned his attention from his studies in drawing at the Royal Academy Schools, to stained glass and furniture design. De Morgan’s academic artistic training enabled him to create intricate scenes from mythology and the Bible, skillfully entwining them with floral patterns in his stained glass work.

But it wasn’t just De Morgan’s designs that set him apart—it was his obsession with understanding how things were made. This curiosity and his scientific approach would propel him to the forefront of ceramic innovation.

Discovering the secrets of stained glass

In his early experiments with stained glass, De Morgan learned how silver nitrate, when applied to glass and fired in a kiln, produced a beautiful yellow tint. Other colours were achieved by adding layers of "pot metal" to the molten glass. De Morgan's keen interest in manipulating materials led him to discover that depriving the kiln of oxygen during the firing process caused a deposit of silver to oxidise on the glass, creating a distinctive, iridescent surface. This discovery in stained glass sparked his interest in metallic decoration and led him to ancient lustreware ceramics.

Reviving the ancient art of lustreware

De Morgan’s experiments with stained glass and his observations of the iridescence produced by silver prompted him to explore the ancient art of lustreware, a technique first developed in 9th-century Egypt. Lustreware involved applying metallic oxides to the surface of ceramics, which were then fired in an oxygen-deprived kiln to produce a shimmering metallic finish. Fascinated by this forgotten craft, De Morgan sought to revive and perfect it.

In 1872, recognising the absence of tiles being produced for Arts and Crafts movement patrons, De Morgan set up his own ceramics workshop in Chelsea. His first attempts were primitive and lacked the sparkle so distinctive in lustre glazing, but his relentless experimentation soon bore fruit. Over time, he mastered the technique and began creating lustreware that was highly sought after for its delicate beauty.

The process behind De Morgan's lustreware

De Morgan shared the details of his research into the history of lustreware and his own redevelopment of the process in a piece he wrote for the Society of Arts in 1892. He explained how his early lustres were created on Staffordshire ironstone, though later he preferred an opaque white body made with tin. His lustre pigments were simple: a mix of white clay, copper scale, or silver oxide, the proportions varying depending on the intensity of the colour he wished to achieve.

"The pigment consists simply of white clay, mixed with copper scale or oxide of silver, in proportions varying to the strength of colour we desire to get. It is painted on the already fused glaze with water..." ~ William De Morgan, 1892

After firing, the clay component of the pigment would remain on the surface, and it had to be rubbed off to reveal the lustrous metallic finish underneath. The metallic film left by the firing process was what gave De Morgan’s lustreware its signature shimmering effect.

Contemporary recognition: a revolutionary ceramicist

By the mid-1870s, De Morgan’s mastery of ceramics, especially lustreware, had earned him significant acclaim. A newspaper report from Truth, dated July 5, 1877, praised De Morgan for his rediscovery of ancient ceramic techniques:

“For instance, no one has done so much in the recovery of the lost chemical secrets in the production of the finest kinds of rich or grotesque decorative ware as Mr William de Morgan at his factory in Cheyne-row, Chelsea” ~ Truth, July 5, 1877

This quote captures the significance of De Morgan’s contributions to decorative arts. His revival of "lost chemical secrets" was not just about producing beautiful objects; it was a rediscovery of ancient techniques that had been forgotten for centuries.

The evolution of lustreware: from early attempts to mastery

While De Morgan’s early attempts at lustreware were somewhat rudimentary, his perseverance paid off. By the 1890s, he had perfected his "Moonlight Lustre" technique, which combined copper and silver oxide glazes to give his ceramics a soft, glowing, moonlit quality. This innovative approach was highly admired, and his work became a central feature of Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society exhibitions from the late 1880s where it gained wide recognition.

A newspaper article on the second Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society exhibition in 1888 highlighted De Morgan’s brilliance:

"As might be expected, the decorative tiles occupy an important place in an exhibition of this class. Messrs. De Morgan, Messrs. Minton, and Messrs. Maw all contributing specimens of their skill. The aim of the best tile maker now seems to be the gradation of tone and colour rather than mere outline and pattern, and some of the colours are exceedingly rich and varied. Messrs. De Morgan's lustreware, of which a case (103) shows its uses, is quite the best and most brilliant specimen of fictile art." ~ Leeds Mercury, October 19, 1888

This review underscores the impact of De Morgan’s work, noting how his multi lustreware was considered the pinnacle of ceramic art, even among other leading tile makers of the time. His ability to manipulate tone and colour, rather than relying solely on patterns, set him apart in the highly competitive world of decorative arts.

De Morgan's lasting legacy

William De Morgan’s relentless curiosity and scientific approach to the decorative arts made him one of the leading figures in his field. His ability to fuse art with technical innovation, particularly in reviving ancient lustreware techniques, ensured his lasting impact on the world of ceramics. His work was so influential that he was later invited to Cairo by the Egyptian government in 1894 to undertake a feasibility study for the mass production of lustre there, a testament to his global recognition.

Today, De Morgan’s ceramics remain celebrated for their iridescent beauty and technical brilliance and have inspired modern ceramicists as much as the Middle-Eastern originals inspired De Morgan. Alan Caiger Smith and Jonathan Chiswell Jones are notable contemporary potters who have followed in De Morgan’s footsteps to continue the production of this beautiful - yet extraordinarily difficult to produce - glistening pottery.