A W N Pugin (1812-1852) for Minton & Co.A George Plantagenet tile and a FitzAlan Lion tile

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852) for Minton & Co.

A George Plantagenet tile and a FitzAlan Lion tile, commissioned for the 1870s-1890s Victorian restoration of Arundel Castle by the 15th Duke of Norfolk

both with stamped Minton & Co marks to the reverse

both 13 x 13cm (2).

Catalogue Notes:

The present FitzAlan Lion tile and the George Plantagenet tile appear to have formed part of the same bespoke commission from Minton & Co. for the Victorian restoration of Arundel Castle. The lion is one of several distinct rampant lion designs incorporated into the castle’s fireplaces, serving both heraldic and decorative purposes. Some examples, including the present tile, depict the lion within a heraldic shield, with variations in the treatment of the surrounding ornament, while others show the rampant lion alone, without shield, scrollwork or additional ornament.

The FitzAlan Lion does not appear to have been a standard Minton & Co. catalogue design, but rather a pattern specially produced for Arundel Castle. Although evidently manufactured in greater numbers than the George Plantagenet tile, the design appears to have remained a relatively limited commission, with probably fewer than fifty examples installed throughout the castle. The pattern was subsequently reissued by Minton & Hollins for other commissions, also in the 5-inch format. These later examples are, however, distinct from the earlier Minton & Co. tiles made specifically for Arundel Castle.

The George Plantagenet design, by contrast, appears to have remained exclusive to Arundel Castle and was presumably intended for a single genealogical fireplace or heraldic scheme commemorating the Howard family’s royal Yorkist ancestry.