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Tile design from album
Godwin, William, born 1813 - died 1883 - Enlarge image
Tile design from album
- Place of origin:
Herefordshire, England (made)
- Date:
ca. 1860 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Godwin, William, born 1813 - died 1883 (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Watercolour on paper
- Credit Line:
Presented by Charles R. Baker King ARIBA
- Museum number:
E.3310-1914
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 122e, case 5
Object Type
This design is one of a series taken from Medieval tiles used at Salisbury Cathedral and elsewhere. It was bound into a volume of 270 designs. It has been mounted onto a page with three other designs, two of which have a similar overall design based around a diagonal division.
People
These designs for tiles were prepared by Godwin & Co for the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878), who undertook the restoration of Salisbury Cathedral. When Scott was working on the refurbishment of churches he had the patterns reproduced from existing tiles. Sometimes they were in the same size as the original, but often they were reduced to enable them to fit with other patterns and sizes of tiles.
Design & Designing
From about 1830 Medieval Gothic styles were adopted by designers for the architecture and furnishings of new and refurbished churches. Designs for tiles were copied, traced or adapted from old examples in, or designed specifically for use in the restoration of, various buildings.
Subjects Depicted
The heraldic bird motif was copied from original examples of Medieval tiles known to have been used in Salisbury Cathedral and Christchurch Priory from about 1280. Heraldic animal figures, like the bird here, were popular motifs in medieval Gothic and Gothic revival designs.




