A MORRIS, MARSHALL, FAULKNER & CO. FRAMED TILE PANEL DESIGNED BY EDWARD COLEY BURNE JONES, BT., A.R.A., R.W.S. AND WILLIAM MORRIS

Edward Burne-Jones designed a set of twelve tile panels each depicting a female figure inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer's visionary poem 'The Legend of Goode Wimmen'. An entry in his accounts for 'Tiles 12 Single figures £3' in May or June 1862 probably refers to the series and would suggest that this was 'the firm's earliest essay in decoration based upon a theme which was to recur in various media...over the ensuing three and a half decades.' Burne-Jones was to rework the 'Good Women' for a set of embroidered hangings planned for Ruskin. For further discussion of the series see R. and H. Myers, William de Morgan Tiles, Shepton Beauchamp, 1996, pp. 21-25.