Anvil

Anvil takes its starting point from the blacksmith’s workshop. The anvil and hammer are simple, practical tools, but both have shapes we recognise immediately.

I have always liked the anvil as an object. Its unusual outline comes entirely from purpose, with nothing added for decoration. Yet somewhere along the way, it also became a familiar symbol of making and industry.

That combination made it a natural source for a tile. Anvil borrows from the broad outline rather than copying it literally. Once the pieces come together, the connection becomes less obvious and another pattern starts to emerge.

There is a nice contradiction in that. The inspiration comes from something heavy, solid and associated with hard physical work. Repetition gives the same idea a much more playful character.

The hammer sits quietly in the background too. Together, hammer and anvil represent a very direct relationship between tool, material and maker. That feels appropriate for a collection built around the character of individual tile shapes.

Anvil keeps a little of that workshop character, without becoming an industrial motif. You might recognise the reference, or you might simply enjoy the slightly curious geometry. Either works.