Purchase of Pilkington’s Tiles at auction

Thanks to a generous donation from the Friends of Salford Museum Association and a grant from the Arts Council England / V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the museum has been successful in purchasing a rare set of Pilkington Tiles at auction.

The set of six tiles known as “Flora’s Train” are by Walter Crane, who was an eminent artist and at the forefront of the Arts & Crafts movement. He worked for Pilkington’s around the turn of the 20th century and produced only one other series of tiles for the company.

The tiles are an example of Crane’s earlier work and are very reminiscent of his picture book “Flora’s Feast” with the added influence of Art Nouveau. The tiles each have a different flower design comprising Poppy, Bluebell, Columbine, Daffodil, Cornflower and Anemone. This set came from Bristol where they once adorned the cheeks of a fireplace. You can see them on display in our Pilkington’s exhibition.