[Rarebooks] fs: The Earliest English Book on Tiles? (1794)

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

Offered by Joslin Hall Rare Books-

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Henniker, John. TWO LETTERS ON THE ORIGIN, ANTIQUITY, AND HISTORY OF NORMAN 
TILES, STAINED WITH ARMORIAL BEARINGS. London; printed by John 
Bell...Bookseller to His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales: 1794 
[mistakenly noted as 1796 by Solon].

The author states in his first letter-

"The armorial bearings which I have the honor of transmitting to your 
Lordship, and to the Society of Antiquaries, were sent to me, some time 
ago, from Caen, by my brother, Captain Henniker, then resident at the 
place, and studious of its antiquities. I have hitherto delayed to bring 
them forward, waiting for some information on the subject, from the 
Professor of Rhetoric in the University there; to whom I have frequently 
applied for assistance, both by letter, and in person. Having now given up 
all hope of any satisfactory information from him, I have determined to 
produce them with such gleanings of history as I myself have been able to 
collect..."

He goes on to quote Dr. Ducarel's description of the pavements-

"The floor is paved with tiles...each near five inches square, baked almost 
to vitrification. Eight rows of these tiles running from east to west are 
charged with different coats of arms, generally said to be those of the 
families who attended Duke William in his invasion of England. The 
intervals between each of these rows are filled up with a kind of 
tessellated pavement; the middle whereof represents a maze or labyrinth, 
about ten feet in diameter, and so artfully contrived, that were we to 
suppose a man following all the intricate meanders of its volutes, he could 
not travel less than a mile before he got from one end to the other. The 
remainder of this floor is inlaid with small squares of different colours, 
placed alternately, and formed into draught or chess-boards, for the 
amusement of the soldiery whilst on guard".

Solon further notes-

"The armorial-bearing tiles described in these letters belonged to a 
pavement, now partly destroyed, which adorned the state-rooms of St. 
Stephen Abbey or 'Abbaye aux hommes' at Caen, built in 1077 by William the 
Conqueror. Although local traditions and ancient chronicles agree in 
considering these tiles as containing the scutcheons of the noble families 
which accompanied William, Duke of Normandy, in his expedition, the date of 
their making cannot correspond with that of the building of the Abbey. One 
of these tiles bears the Royal Arms of France, adopted by St. Louis, and it 
is well known that the armorial bearings were not in use before the 
crusades; the pavement cannot be, therefore, anterior to the thirteenth 
century. The scutcheons are introduced in the borders of a vast 
composition, the centre of which is occupied by the tracery of an intricate 
labyrinth. People, in single file, could engage, under the guidance of a 
leader, at the starting point of the meander, and follow the puzzling 
course of the maze for almost the length of a mile without having once to 
retrace their steps before they reached the point of issue. The march was 
accompanied with the singing of a well-rhythmed tune, and, in this way, a 
large crowd could be kept on the move without confusion for a considerable 
time".

The earliest work in English located by Solon dealing specifically with tiles.

Hardcover.  5.5"x8.5", 114 pages plus 3 engraved plates reproducing twenty 
tile designs; bound in contemporaneous marbled boards with a parchment 
spine; boards worn and scuffed, spine perishing and hinges gone with the 
result that the first several signatures are either loose or detached yet 
everything is present and ready for a trip to the restorer's table; very 
minor internal toning and a few light pencil notes but overall internally a 
very nice copy with wide margins. [28444] $875.00



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