Gustav Stickley ( 1858-1942 )
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Tea Table with Grueby Tiles - c. 1902-03 Oak with rich elephant glazed green Grueby tiles 26 x 24 x 20 inches
Marked: Joiner’s compass in rectangle Click image for detailed view |
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Provenance:
Private collection, New Hampshire
Gustav Stickley, the most prominent figure of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, founded his own furnishings company in 1899 after visiting C.F.A Voysey and other British designers on a trip to England. Dedicated to the practical realization of the movement’s philosophy, he created furniture, metalwork, lighting and textiles with the principles of straight-forward design and solid workmanship in mind. In 1901, he began to edit and publish the journal The Craftsman, which disseminated both philosophical treatises and practical manuals on the meaning and implementation of the Arts and Crafts lifestyle.
Characterized by minimal, rectilinear lines, Stickley’s design style focused on emphasizing the inherent beauty of an object’s materiality and functionality. In this view, applied decoration was perceived as hiding rather than enhancing the work’s aesthetic appearance. Creating simplified, massive designs that expressed his ideal of balanced proportions, Stickley complemented his furniture and furnishings by incorporating natural materials like leather and mica. Possessing subdued and monochromatic tones, these materials harmonized with the American oak wood of the furniture and the hammered copper furnishings to form a cohesive living space.
An excellent example of its model type, this early tea table features twelve inset ceramic tiles made by the Grueby Faience Company of Boston, a well-known pottery shop that produced wares favored by Arts and Crafts designers for their velvety matte glazes and organic designs. These earthy green tiles, with their leaf-like veining and mossy surface texture, provide a pleasing accent to the dark brown finish of the wood. Epitomizing Stickley’s early designs, the structure of the table possesses an overhanging top with exposed tenons, a straight apron, and plain splayed legs. Its broad lower shelf is mortised through the side stretchers and fastened with Stickley’s characteristic keyed-through tenons. The components of the joinery serve both structural and decorative functions, thereby highlighting the intrinsic beauty of utility.
