Tile by Hugh Robertson attr Chelsea Keramic

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$1,600.00

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Tiles made at Chelsea Keramic and signed by Hugh Robertson are extremely rare. The pottery opened in 1866 in Chelsea Mass by his brother, Alexander Robertson. Hugh took over the pottery in 1880 when his brother moved to California. Hugh is best known for his endless experimentations with glazes, trying to reproduce the sang de boeuf reds he saw on Chinese ceramics on his trip to the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1877. The business failed in 1888 and was later reorganized into Dedham Pottery, famous for their crackled dinnerware. This tile was rescued from the hallway of a Victorian row house in Philadelphia. There is a shallow chip to the border, and a rub to one of the textural highlights near the signature "HCR". Both can be seen in the detail pictures.