The tiles of Group 5 were only found at Rievaulx and included a number of poorly cut parallels of Inlaid Group designs (Fig 12.3). They were variously deco-rated in counter or two-colour and the craftsmanship was poor. However, the distinction between fringe examples of the Inlaid Group proper and the Inlaid Copies is blurred. Another way of grouping these tiles would be to draw a distinction between the best quali-ty Inlaid examples, which were distributed to both Rievaulx and other sites, and the tiles of both groups that were only found at Rievaulx.
Sites, sample and condition: Rievaulx was the only site with Inlaid Copies. In addition to the 17 examples in the loose collection listed in Table 12.4, there are two example of design 5.4 re-set in the nave chapels in Rievaulx Abbey church (Fig 12.4). Fourteen of the tiles in the loose collection were worn and three were fragments.
Concordance
Table 12.3: Tiles of the Inlaid Group in the British Museum
All tiles are from Rievaulx except BMC/1327 of design 4.7 which is from Byland
Design no. BMD BMC Design no. BMD BMC
4.1 2261 6068–6070 4.5 2624 6087–6088
4.2 2627 6079–6086 4.6 2625 6089
4.3 2626 6076 4.7 2236 1327
4.4 2237 6094 4.15 2063 6065–6067
Shape, size: Squares, 116–128mm, depth 31–43mm, with one triangle scored and split on two sides.
Designs: The seven designs, and their parallels in the Inlaid Group, are listed in Table 12.4. Design 1.16, found at Rievaulx and Wether Cote kiln site and discussed with the Plain Mosaic Group in Chapter 10, might be a further example of the Inlaid Copies Group.
Design stamps: All the stamps seemed to be the work of the same, relatively unskilled, hand. The stamps were only tentatively impressed on to the quarries (impressions up to 1mm deep).
Decoration: It was unclear what type of decoration was intended on some of the worn tiles. The slight impression made by the stamps was similar to that
used for two-colour, stamped and slipped, tiles but in at least some cases the slip was applied over the whole upper surface, as for a counter relief tile. The design drawings show the most likely form of decoration for each design (Fig 12.3). All the counter relief tiles were coated with slip (there are no extant dark examples).
The slip or inlay on the two-colour tiles was up to 1mm deep. Most of the tiles were glazed olive-yellow but one stamped and slipped example, design 5.4, was dark brown and yellow (shown in Fig 12.4).
Fig 12.3: Inlaid Copies Group design drawings. Scale 1:3 5.1
5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7
5.2 5.3
Fig 12.4: Rievaulx Abbey: Inlaid Copy Group, design 5.4 re-set in the east chapel on the south side of the nave Table 12.4: Inlaid Copies from Rievaulx and
their design parallels
Nos of tiles Inlaid Copies designs Inlaid Group design parallels
4 5.1 4.2, 4.3
3 5.2 4.10
4 5.3 –
2 5.4 4.12, 4.14
2 5.5 4.4
2 5.6 –
1 5.7 –
Nail holes: None.
Firing: Largely reduced.
Fabric: Seven examples of fabric code 2 and one example of fabric 6 (see Chapter 9 for fabric codes).
Treatment of tile sides: Vertical (twelve tiles) or slightly bevelled (three tiles).
Treatment of bases: Sandy. One scooped key 20–15mm diameter × 20–15mm deep in centre of base. Three examples were not keyed.
Quality: In some cases the design was partly invisible, not because the tile was worn but because the impres-sion made by the stamp was too slight.
Discussion
Apart from the poor quality stamps and variable deco-rative techniques, these tiles were similar to those of
the Inlaid Group and paralleled some of the Inlaid Group designs. A less competent artist and technician may have made them as copies.
Dating
There was no independent dating evidence for this group. Stylistically and typologically they would be dated to the mid or later 13th century.
Concordance
Table 12.5: Tiles of the Inlaid Copies Group from Rievaulx in the British Museum
Design no. BMD BMC
5.3 2429 6160 5.6 2491 6180
Tile Group 6
(Figs 13.1–13.6)The Usefleet Group (Tile Group 6) takes its name from a poorly executed inscription on some of the tiles, read as a contracted form of the name JOHANNES USEFLEET (design 6.1 and possibly 6.3; Fig 13.1).
The tiles are large, usually square, with clear, well-ren-dered designs. During their time in use, several of the design stamps were altered or repaired.
Sites, sample and condition: The majority of the 315 extant Usefleet tiles in loose collections were found at Rievaulx Abbey but, as shown in Table 13.1, small numbers are provenanced to other sites in the study area. Sites with Usefleet tiles are plotted in Figure 3.1.
In addition to the tiles listed in Table 13.1, an antiquar-ian record suggests that a fragment of either design 6.9 or 6.10 was found at Wether Cote kiln site. Also from Wether Cote was a tile of Inlaid design 4.12 with all the characteristics of a Usefleet tile except that it was deco-rated using an Inlaid Group design. The other uncer-tainly assigned pieces are a single tile of design 6.21 and the fragment of design 6.22, both from Rievaulx.
In addition to the loose collections, about 100 dec-orated and plain Usefleet tiles are re-set at Rievaulx, in the choir, crossing, north transept, the chapels on the north side of the nave, against the rood screen and in the chapter house (Figs 27.30–27.31). Apart from a small fragment of design 6.13 in the British Museum,
tiles of designs 6.13 and 6.14 are only represented among the material re-set at this site (Fig 13.2). An example of design 6.15 from Rievaulx is re-set with Plain Mosaic in the Tuscan Temple, Duncombe Park (see entry 75, Chapter 27: Rievaulx Terrace).
Approximately half of the extant tiles were frag-ments, with only ten fully recorded tiles having two complete upper surface dimensions. However, 60% of fragments were half-tile size or larger. The three frag-ments from the Paradise Estate, Scarborough, could have been either design 6.1 or 6.2. Sixty per cent of the sample was of wear grades 1 or 2 (i.e. unworn).
Examples from St Mary’s Abbey, York, were particu-larly worn.
Shape, size: Mostly square, with only two triangular examples of the square-tile designs 6.1 and 6.11 and two purpose-made rectangular designs (6.19 and 6.20). Their complete dimensions were:
Squares/triangles: 156–173mm (c.165mm) Rectangles design 6.19: 168–173 × 59–68mm.
Rectangles design 6.20: 113–119mm × 53–57mm.
Depth of all tiles: 28–45mm.
Designs: The 20 designs, plus the two further possi-bilities 6.21 and 6.22, are drawn in Figure 13.3.
The Inlaid Group design 4.12, thought to have been