Hand painted tile panel (from 159 Queen's Crescent, Kentish Town branch)

Fragments of a hand painted tile panel. The panel originally consisted of 10 individual tiles (3 missing) depicting a swan seated at the waters edge surrounded by reeds and water lilies with 2 butterflies in flight. The design is no longer complete as pieces of tile have broken off and are missing. The remaining 7 tiles show only reeds, foliage and butterflies. Inscribed on reverse 'Minton Hollins and Co. Patent Tile Works Stoke on Trent'.

These tiles were taken from the second house of Sainsbury at 159 Queen's Cresent, Kentish Town, opened in 1873. They were hand painted by W. H. Dixon who was renowned for his painted panels of exotic birds and flowers and worked for Minton Hollins and Co. between 1875 - 1885. These tiles are considered an interesting example of his work because they show the artist created dual panel pieces as well as single panel.