Greyish earthenware with moulded decoration of a lion statant regardant under a greenish brown glaze. Possibly originally from Launcells Church, near Stratton in Cornwall. English, 14th or 15th century.

Greyish earthenware with moulded decoration of a lion stantant regardant and a rose spray filling one corner under a greenish brown glaze.

Possibly originally from Launcells Church, near Stratton in Cornwall.

Note in Register: Mr. Rackham's report to Director, 19 April 1916: In the course of card case listing in the Ceramics Dept., now just being completed, we have come across three English medieval tiles beraring no numbers, which came to light in the Crypt and have never been registered. On one of these objects is a Ms label "From modelling shop", the label itself evidently many years old. The object I have identified as one half (cut diagonally) of a square inlaid 13th century tile from Chertsey Abbey; a similar half tile in the British Museum is illustrated in the Museum catalogue of English earthenware. In 1905 three panels of Chertsey tiles came to light in the store rooms west of the Exhibition Road amongst modern tile work which formerly belonged, I believe, to what was known as the "Building Collection", they then had registered numbers assigned to them and are now exhibited in Room 137. These panels were fixed on slate beds, so is the half tile I have now found, and I think it may fairly be assumed that it was acquired through the same channel (perhaps the Office of Works?)."
Director's remarks: I agree, doubtless the entry you suggest will constitute a sufficient caveat in case some indignant owner turned up to claim them.

Possibly originally from Launcells Church, near Stratton in Cornwall.

C.75-1916