Tile
14th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Lead-glazed earthenware floor tile, decorated in an inlaid design consisting of a shield vair supported by birds. The design is diagonally set. The reverse has five scooped keys. Lowe (2003) describes this design as " Vairy Azure and Argent for Beauchamp of Hache." In connection with a similar design, she states: " Vairy Azure and Argent was borne by Beauchamp of Hache. John de Beauchamp was summoned to Parliament in 1299. As this design is actually counter vairy it may represent Ferrers/Peverill, but Beauchamp is more likely". Returning to the design represented here, she states: "The seal of the Sir John who died in 1301, was Argent an eagle's breast displayed, a shield vair. This may tie in with the 'supporters' to the above shield."
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Earthenware, with inlaid decoration |
| Brief description | Red earthenware stamped with a coat of arms, a shield vair supported by birds, and inlaid with white clay. Originally from Muchelney Abbey, Somerset. English, 14th century. |
| Physical description | Lead-glazed earthenware floor tile, decorated in an inlaid design consisting of a shield vair supported by birds. The design is diagonally set. The reverse has five scooped keys. Lowe (2003) describes this design as " Vairy Azure and Argent for Beauchamp of Hache." In connection with a similar design, she states: " Vairy Azure and Argent was borne by Beauchamp of Hache. John de Beauchamp was summoned to Parliament in 1299. As this design is actually counter vairy it may represent Ferrers/Peverill, but Beauchamp is more likely". Returning to the design represented here, she states: "The seal of the Sir John who died in 1301, was Argent an eagle's breast displayed, a shield vair. This may tie in with the 'supporters' to the above shield." |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | From Muchelney Abbey, Somerset. According to Lowe (2003), comparable tiles are known from Poynington Church, Stavordale Priory and Templecombe Templars' Chapel, Somerset, and Milton Abbey, Cerne Abbas and Glanville Wootton, Dorset. In 1892 a large group of tiles was bought from Mrs. E. Edkins, the widow of William Edkins. Her husband had been a builder, who worked all over the west of England and many of his tiles came from buildings with which he had been involved. |
| Production | Originally from Muchelney Abbey, Somerset. |
| Bibliographic reference | Lowe, Barbara J. Decorated Medieval Floor Tiles of Somerset. Taunton: Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society / Somerset County Museum Service, 2003. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1215-1892 |
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| Record created | October 24, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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