This copper lustre tile from De Ferranti’s personal archive is an original ceramic work by Margery Clinton, glowing with a warm ember-like patina created through an additional reduced-oxygen firing. The metallic character develops within the glazed surface itself, producing a depth and variation quite different from an applied metal coating.

Copper lustre tile colour and texture

A burnished copper-brown ground is scattered with fine granular speckling, darker pooling and small reflective points. Up close, the face appears particulate and active, with tones moving through chestnut, bronze, russet and softly fired gold. The irregular edge and local pits remain part of the material record, revealing the combined influence of hand, glaze and kiln.

Clinton was known for sustained research into reduction lustres, recording recipes, samples and firing programmes across her studio practice. Ember Copper shows the value of that exacting process. Its surface catches light softly rather than reading as a uniformly bright metallic tile, allowing it to sit comfortably beside timber, honed stone, clay plaster and patinated metal.

Within the same group, the cooler Black Gold tile and quieter Nocturne Bronze tile demonstrate how closely related firing experiments can produce very different visual densities. For other interpretations of metallic ceramic, see the historic imagery of the Ruby Lustre Animal Tiles and the faceted gold surface of The East 4 – Gold.

Specifying a warm metallic ceramic surface

This copper lustre tile can be displayed as a singular object, a framed panel or a concentrated accent within a niche or cabinet. Warm white light will strengthen its ember tones, but a dimmable source is preferable so the finer variation is not lost to glare. Review the exact piece beside adjoining bronze, brass, timber or stone, and confirm fixing, wet-area exposure, heat and cleaning requirements for the proposed setting.

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