Fragment of a garland
Relief
ca. 1518 - ca. 1522 (made)
ca. 1518 - ca. 1522 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This fragment of a terracotta relief originally formed part of a garland. It was excavated from the site of Suffolk Place, Southwark, London, the palace of Charles Brandon, the brother-in-law of Henry VIII.
Suffolk Place was a vast house built by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, between 1518 and 1522. It is the earliest example of a Tudor courtyard house known to have carried this type of extensive terracotta decoration. This use of terracotta quickly became fashionable and appeared on other buildings commissioned by Henry VIII's courtiers, including Cardinal Wolsey's York Place (later Whitehall) and Hampton Court Palace.
Charles Brandon was an orphan raised at the court of Henry VII and became a life-long friend of Henry VIII, who made him 1st Duke of Suffolk in 1514. The Duke was one of Henry VIII's most powerful courtiers, marrying Henry's sister, Mary, in 1518.
The relief is made of moulded clay which was dried and fired to create terracotta (literally 'cooked earth'), a material suitable for use as external decoration. The scale of building projects such as Suffolk Place was vast and by using a cheap raw material and a reproductive method of manufacture, the buildings could be decorated economically and speedily.
In the 16th century there was a fashion for terracotta decoration on buildings. To meet the great demand, the terracotta was mass-produced in moulds. Each clay piece was allowed to dry a little, removed from the mould and fired in a kiln before being incorporated into the building.
Suffolk Place was a vast house built by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, between 1518 and 1522. It is the earliest example of a Tudor courtyard house known to have carried this type of extensive terracotta decoration. This use of terracotta quickly became fashionable and appeared on other buildings commissioned by Henry VIII's courtiers, including Cardinal Wolsey's York Place (later Whitehall) and Hampton Court Palace.
Charles Brandon was an orphan raised at the court of Henry VII and became a life-long friend of Henry VIII, who made him 1st Duke of Suffolk in 1514. The Duke was one of Henry VIII's most powerful courtiers, marrying Henry's sister, Mary, in 1518.
The relief is made of moulded clay which was dried and fired to create terracotta (literally 'cooked earth'), a material suitable for use as external decoration. The scale of building projects such as Suffolk Place was vast and by using a cheap raw material and a reproductive method of manufacture, the buildings could be decorated economically and speedily.
In the 16th century there was a fashion for terracotta decoration on buildings. To meet the great demand, the terracotta was mass-produced in moulds. Each clay piece was allowed to dry a little, removed from the mould and fired in a kiln before being incorporated into the building.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Fragment of a garland (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Terracotta |
| Brief description | Fragment relief, terracotta, of a garland, England, ca. 1518-1522 |
| Physical description | Relief in cream terracotta. Two sections of a laurel wreath springing from a moulded collar. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Found during excavations in 1937 for a new building for Messrs Mosers on the site of Suffolk, the place of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, brother-in-law to Henry VIII. Given to the Museum by Messrs Mosers Ltd, Iron Steel & Hardware Merchants, Borough High Street, Southwark, London in 1938, together with cat. nos. 33 to 43. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This fragment of a terracotta relief originally formed part of a garland. It was excavated from the site of Suffolk Place, Southwark, London, the palace of Charles Brandon, the brother-in-law of Henry VIII. Suffolk Place was a vast house built by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, between 1518 and 1522. It is the earliest example of a Tudor courtyard house known to have carried this type of extensive terracotta decoration. This use of terracotta quickly became fashionable and appeared on other buildings commissioned by Henry VIII's courtiers, including Cardinal Wolsey's York Place (later Whitehall) and Hampton Court Palace. Charles Brandon was an orphan raised at the court of Henry VII and became a life-long friend of Henry VIII, who made him 1st Duke of Suffolk in 1514. The Duke was one of Henry VIII's most powerful courtiers, marrying Henry's sister, Mary, in 1518. The relief is made of moulded clay which was dried and fired to create terracotta (literally 'cooked earth'), a material suitable for use as external decoration. The scale of building projects such as Suffolk Place was vast and by using a cheap raw material and a reproductive method of manufacture, the buildings could be decorated economically and speedily. In the 16th century there was a fashion for terracotta decoration on buildings. To meet the great demand, the terracotta was mass-produced in moulds. Each clay piece was allowed to dry a little, removed from the mould and fired in a kiln before being incorporated into the building. |
| Bibliographic reference | Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V& A Publications, 2002. p. 30. cat. no. 42. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.34:1-1938 |
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| Record created | March 3, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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