This Stormfield lustre tile from De Ferranti’s personal archive is an original ceramic work by Margery Clinton, pairing a deep midnight ground with broad metallic-white and pale gold blooms. The light-reactive effect was created through an additional reduced-oxygen firing, developing the lustre within the glaze and giving the surface its shifting balance of matte depth and reflective lift.

Stormfield lustre tile and elemental abstraction

The composition feels atmospheric, with soft-edged passages moving across the dark field like cloud, smoke or light breaking over water. A stronger vertical flare to one side introduces direction and structure, while scattered marks prevent the image from becoming fixed or symmetrical. The result is modern and painterly, yet produced through a ceramic technology with a long history.

Clinton’s background in painting is especially legible here. Rather than using lustre to describe a repeating motif, she allows glaze chemistry, application and kiln atmosphere to become the image. As the viewer changes position, the pale areas can shift from chalky white to silver or warm gold, while the ground moves through blue-black, charcoal and brown.

The closely related Midnight lustre tile has a broader looping gesture, while Nocturne Bronze reduces the effect to sparse points of light. Elsewhere, the Ruby Lustre Animal Tiles connect the medium to William De Morgan, while The East 5 – Gold presents a structured, repeatable metallic ceramic surface.

Orienting and lighting an abstract lustre tile

This Stormfield lustre tile requires an agreed orientation before mounting, since rotating it changes the apparent movement of the composition. It is suited to a framed object display, feature niche, cabinet interior or protected wall panel at eye level. Test a dimmable grazing light and review the exact piece from the principal approach and seating positions. Confirm fixing, moisture, heat and cleaning requirements for any bathroom, kitchen or fireplace setting.

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