23 Dec phenomenal acquisition, consisting of several figural anglo-japanese parlor stove majolica tiles, arrived today

earlier this afternoon i managed to secure an incredibly huge lot of visually striking and vibrantly colored anglo-japanese style residential parlor stove figural majolica tiles designed and fabricated for notable stove maker, sherman s. jewett & company, buffalo, ny. the exceptionally well-designed glazed ceramic tiles were designed specifically for use with jewett stoves during the american aesthetic movement in the 1880’s.

the massive lot of rectangular-shaped mottled color majolica tiles are all figural, consisting primarily of costumed geisha girls with folded fans. the heavily embossed tiles are amazingly intact with surface crazing evident. only a single tile featuring “koko, the lord high executioner” contains a black transfer print on the backside of the tile.

the jewett stove company in chicago:

sherman s. jewett & co. was one of the oldest and largest stove houses in the country during the 19th century. the firm was known as originally jewett & root, and was founded in 1836 by sherman s. jewett and francis h. root, in buffalo, ny. in 1855, a branch office was opened in chicago, under the management of frank f. spencer, who went on to work for the firm of hibbard, spencer, bartlett & co., then located at 65 south water street. after temporaliy occupying a “fire shanty” after the great chicago fir in 1871, sherman s. jewett erected a magnificent business structure on market street in 1882.

the majolica tile lot is largely redundant, despite the variations in color, however, a total of five distinct figural configurations are available, including the geisha girls, a musician and the executioner.