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Tile

ca. 1745 - 1750 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This tile panel was probably produced by the Redcliffe Back pottery of Bristol. The panel shows a view of St. Mary Redcliff Church in Bristol, and closely follows an engraving published in 1746, drawn by J. Stewart and engraved by William Henry Toms. The engraving is inscribed 'The South Prospect of St. Mary Recliff Church Bristol'. Both the panel and the engraving feature at the bottom the arms of Joseph Butler, who was Lord Bishop of Bristol from 1738 to 1750. At the top is an angel blowing a trumpet and two cupids holding a scroll inscribed 'This magnificent fabrick was founded by Simon de Burton 1292'. The original purpose of the panel is still unclear, but the tiles that remain were salvaged by the collector and antiquarian William Edkins from a butchers in Bristol in the middle of the 19th century, and were given to the Museum of Practical Geology by the historian of Bristol ceramics Hugh Owen some time before 1874.

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Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Tin-glazed earthenware
Brief description
Panel of 24 tiles, of which eight are replacements, tin-glazed earthenware, Bristol, ca.1745-50
Physical description
Decoration: Tile panel. A view of St. Mary Redcliff Church, Bristol with the arms of Joseph Butler, Bishop of Bristol (1738-1750). At the top is an angel blowing a trumpet and two cupids holding a scroll inscribed 'This magnificent fabrick was founded by Simon de Burton 1292'. Blue.
Body: Buff, medium-grained. Six tiles have indistinct pin-holes near corners of front.
Glaze: Bluish.
Surface: Uneven.
Condition: Eight tiles replaced.
DimensionsSize of each tile: width 127 mm, thickness 7 mm Panel size: H.52cms; W.78cms.
Object history
'Eighteen of these tiles were for many years fixed in anything but their originally intended positions, in the window-bed of a ham and bacon merchant in Bristol; and were rescued by Mr Edkins with some difficulty' (Owen, pp.339-340). Given by Mr H. Owen to the Museum of Practical Geology before 1876. Transferred, 1901.
Summary
This tile panel was probably produced by the Redcliffe Back pottery of Bristol. The panel shows a view of St. Mary Redcliff Church in Bristol, and closely follows an engraving published in 1746, drawn by J. Stewart and engraved by William Henry Toms. The engraving is inscribed 'The South Prospect of St. Mary Recliff Church Bristol'. Both the panel and the engraving feature at the bottom the arms of Joseph Butler, who was Lord Bishop of Bristol from 1738 to 1750. At the top is an angel blowing a trumpet and two cupids holding a scroll inscribed 'This magnificent fabrick was founded by Simon de Burton 1292'. The original purpose of the panel is still unclear, but the tiles that remain were salvaged by the collector and antiquarian William Edkins from a butchers in Bristol in the middle of the 19th century, and were given to the Museum of Practical Geology by the historian of Bristol ceramics Hugh Owen some time before 1874.
Associated object
E.743-1955 (Design)
Bibliographic references
  • Archer, Michael. Delftware: the tin-glazed earthenware of the British Isles. A catalogue of the collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1997. ISBN 0 11 290499 8
  • M.P.G. 1876, L.39. Honey, p.48. Lane, Pl: 36.D. Lipski Tiles, No:VIII. Ray, p.56. Ray Tiles, p.57.
Other number
N.5 - <U>Delftware</U> (1997) cat. no.
Collection
Accession number
3144-1901

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Record createdJanuary 29, 2000
Record URL
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