This week’s #FridayFinds are Medieval tiles discovered by Field Supervisor Graham during a watching brief on utility works at Great Malvern Priory, a former Benedictine monastery. Two mid-15th century tile kilns were discovered on the site during works in the 19th and early 20th century, and over 1000 of the beautiful decorated medieval tiles produced in those kilns can be seen on the walls inside the Priory. The three glazed tiles with striking yellow slip decorations look fresh and vibrant because these were never laid - two of them show telltale signs of mistakes during firing, where parts of the tiles have fused to others. These are known as ‘wasters’, and are tell-tale signs of on-site production. Senior Finds Archaeologist Laura Griffin has matched the tile fragments to the complete designs, reproduced here from Elizabeth Eames’ catalogue. The architectural design, one of a 5-part panel, can be very closely dated to 1458/9, as there’s a dated inscription on a surviving panel in the priory. The heavily-worn orange tile with faint traces of yellow slip is the only one not produced locally. It’s probably a Worcester-made tile, and may be an example of the tiles that were being used in the priory before the on-site kilns were constructed. Finally, if youre looking for a Halloween theme, the Instruments of the Passion depicted on one of the tiles are pretty gruesome!
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 18:14:08 +0000
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