[Rarebooks] FS: 1794 Study of Norman French Armorial Tiles at St.-Etienne

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

“Two Letters on the Origin, Antiquity, and History of Norman Tiles, 
Stained with Armorial Bearings” By John Henniker. Published in London; 
printed by John Bell...Bookseller to His Royal Highness, the Prince of 
Wales, in 1794 [mistakenly noted as 1796 by Solon].

The earliest work in English located by Solon dealing specifically with 
tiles, and now very uncommon. Solon 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 (cataloguer's note: 
now known as The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, it is considered to be one of 
the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy), 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 author's brother, a Captain in the English military, had 
been a resident of Caen and sent the first description of the armorial 
tiles to the author, who then tried to interest British antiquarians in 
them, with apparently limited success.

The tiles are described here, quoting a Dr. Ducarel- "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".

A scarce and desirable tile book.

Hardcover. 5.5"x8.5", 114 pages plus 3 engraved plates reproducing 
twenty tile designs; bound in period marbled boards with a new leather 
spine and new endpapers. Boards worn and scuffed. Very minor internal 
toning and a few light pencil notes but overall internally a very nice 
copy with wide margins. [38491]  $350

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