Anna Burnside
Head of Sale
Lot 413
An English medieval encaustic tile with Royal portraits, and nine other tiles, 14th-15th century
1 – 16 April 2025, 12:00 BST
Online, London, New Bond StreetSold for £1,280 inc. premium
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Fergus Gambon
Director
Ghislaine Howard
Sale Coordinator
An English medieval encaustic tile with Royal portraits, and nine other tiles, 14th-15th century
Comprising a fleur-de-lys tile of Penn type, the corners each with the head of a crowned king, 11cm wide, five other tiles with fleur-de-lys or similar motifs, two tiles with heraldic shields, a tile perhaps with a merchant's emblem, and a tile with two entwined loops or rings enclosing the word 'dire', approx 9.5-12cm wide (10)
Footnotes
Provenance
Graham Slater Collection
An identical tile with a King's head in each corner is in the Museum of London, object no.6794. The portrait is likely to have been copied from coinage of the period, such as silver groats, where there is surprisingly little difference between the crowned heads of Edward III (reigned 1327-77) and Richard II (reigned 1377-1399). This tile could have represented either monarch.