A lovely Arts and Crafts modeling of a sailing ship at sea, 5 15/16 in. sq., 7/16 in. thick, artist signature "E.R. Cone" in lower right portion of design, very good condition with some light staining along lower edge, marked on the back "National Tile Co., Anchor Back, Pat. Dec. 3, 1907". An example of this art tile is shown in Norman Carlson's, 2005 "Encyclopedia of American Art Tiles", v. 1, p. 236, by Schiffer Publishing Ltd., without the blue decorative margin and E. R. Cone signature that this tile being offered has.

George W. Robertson was a second generation member of the famous Robertson Tile (i.e., Chelsea Keramic Art Works) family. He established Chelsea Keramic Art Tile Works in 1890 at Morrisvile, Pennsylvania. Due to financial issues, Robertson soon had to take on partners and the name of the company was changed to Robert Art Tile. After a family tradgedy several years later, he sold his shares in the company and moved to California in 1895.

In 1903, Herman Mueller joined Robertson Art Tile, and the company was consolidated with 2 other tile companies to become National Tile Company. After approximately three years, the Robertson Art Tile company withdrew from the National Art Tile consortium and continued forward on its own. Mueller stayed on with Robertson before eventually starting his own company in 1908. This tile being offered was obviously done around 1907 when the Robertson Art Tile was still part of the National Tile Company. In his book, Norman Carlson remarks that the tiles produced in Robertsons first twenty years were highly artistic.