Tiles with a Lion on a Shield
Unknown Artist
late 1400s or early 1500s
Medium
Tin-glazed earthenware (cuerda seca technique)
Dimensions
Overall: 11 1/8 x 5 9/16 x 5/8 in. (28.3 x 14.1 x 1.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Tiles
Culture
Spanish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1916
Accession Number
16.77a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late medieval Spanish ceramics with *Tiles with a Lion on a Shield*, crafted in the late 1400s or early 1500s. These striking tin-glazed earthenware tiles, measuring about 11 x 5 inches, showcase a bold coat of arms: a fierce lion rampant on a shield, symbolizing strength, nobility, and courage in heraldic tradition. Produced by an unknown artist, they exemplify the architectural splendor of Spain during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, where such tiles adorned palaces, churches, and public buildings to display family crests or royal emblem...