Medieval; Heraldic Encaustic Tile; Wales, circa 1500.

Medieval; Heraldic Encaustic Tile; Wales, circa 1500.

Another early Welsh floor tile that indeed belongs to JM Lewis’s ‘Cardiff series’. Furthermore, the tile was discovered with the Bawdrip arms tile from a previous post; both having been in PB Chatwins possession at the turn of the twentieth century.

This heraldic design is especially striking with its chevron between three maunches sable ( stylised sleeve ). The arms are surrounded by unusual geometric corner motifs.

The device can be attributed to the arms of Mansel, Glamorgan. The Mansel’s reigned from Oxwich castle which was built by Sir Rhys Mansel - who is likey to of been one of the family patrons of the Cardiff Blackfriars pavement this tile once was part of.

Ref. Literature; The Medieval Tiles of Wales, JM Lewis.