English, 15th century

The inlaid designs seen here were created by pressing a carved wooden block into the soft, unfired clay, imprinting the motif into its surface. The impression left was then filled with a white slip. The resulting product was both striking and durable. The production of such tiles flourished in England and France specifically from the 13th to the 16th century and often featured heraldic imagery.

Similar examples can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.