A COLLECTION OF TWENTY-ONE VICTORIAN ENCAUSTIC TILES, SIX FURTHER TILES AND A FRAGMENT

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… Read more

ROBERT MYDDELTON BIDDULPH, PUGIN AND MINTON Unpublished correspondence from the Myddelton family papers (lot 502) sheds some light on just how involved Col. Myddelton Biddulph became in the redecoration of Chirk, as well as revealing the often complex relationship between patron, architect and supplier. Amongst these is the original blockprinted design for Minton's armorial tiles, illustrated above, which was sent for approval to Colonel Myddelton Biddulph, whose comments are inscribed in pencil in the margin:- 'Fingers of hands too far apart, otherwise sketch is correct/RMB. Minton's involvement at Chirk appears to be after Pugin seniors death in 1852, when his son E.W. Pugin was carrying out much of his father's original conceits. The surviving correspondence, from the mid to late 1850's, includes:- Jany 8 1856 We have forwarded today for your approval some fluted tiles, and also some with the Fleur de lis. We have not made any quantity of them - merely samples - but shall be happy to execute an order for you.... Tiles in Blue & White like the enclosed tracing could be 6- per dozen, and 1/1- for engraving each design 23 nov 1857 Minton & Co present their respectful cmpts to Colonel Biddulph, and beg to state that the 3 dozn Tiles, Chinese Pattern, shall be forwarded on or about the 2 December July 10 1855 from Minton We have received your favour of the 7th, and beg to enclose sketches of two patterns- the one No.8659 was designed by the late Mr Pugin An invoice, possibly for opne of the following lots, also survives:- Xmas 1855 Minton & Co Stoke on Trent Bill Sept 21 to goods 3.6 Sept 21 to goods 2.8.3 Total 2.11.9

A COLLECTION OF TWENTY-ONE VICTORIAN ENCAUSTIC TILES, SIX FURTHER TILES AND A FRAGMENT

CIRCA 1845-1855, DESIGNED BY A.W.N. PUGIN AND MANUFACTURED BY MINTON, MOULDED MAKERS MARKS

Details

A COLLECTION OF TWENTY-ONE VICTORIAN ENCAUSTIC TILES, SIX FURTHER TILES AND A FRAGMENT
CIRCA 1845-1855, DESIGNED BY A.W.N. PUGIN AND MANUFACTURED BY MINTON, MOULDED MAKERS MARKS
Designed by A.W.N. Pugin for Chirk Castle and printed in blue with the letter 'M' for Myddelton within Gothic foliate cartouches and the Myddelton crest of an open hand rising from a coronet within similar cartouches; and two rectangular tiles decorated in orange and iron-red with gothic 'MB' monograms and a green diagonal band with three white wolves' heads, both with sections lacking, one broken through, a similar fragment and four white tiles, damages
The first twenty-one tiles - 5 7/8 x 5 7/8 in. (15 x 15 cm.) (28)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

The heraldic 'Myddelton Biddulph' hearth tiles were designed for Colonel Robert Myddelton Biddulph (d.1872) by A.W.N. Pugin. One, coloured rose red, displays the family's conjoined 'MB' monogram in golden Tudor-lettering charged with the Biddulph trefoil; and the white tile alludes to the 'wolf','vert' and 'argent' of the Biddulph coat-of-arms and displays wolf heads on a diagonal 'bend' of green ribbon. These tiles, displayed in cheque fashion, enlivened the hearth sides of the Gallery chimney-pieces .
In 1840 Pugin had developed a close working relationship with Herbert Minton, who originated the nineteenth century art of making encaustic tiles in the medieval style and published a catalogue of Early English Tile Patterns, in 1842. In December 1847 Messrs Minton, had sent sketches of 'Fleur de Lis' tiles proposed for the 'panelled room', and promised they would have drawings ready for the Colonel's proposed visit to their Staffordshire Works (G.A. Godden, Minton Pottery & Porcelain of the First Period 1793- 1850, London, p.160.)

These tiles were probably originally part of the fireplace designed by A.W.N. Pugin circa 1845 for the Ante Room in the East or Family Wing. Conceived as a book-lined Library and Ante Room to the Bow Drawing Room, the fireplace was originally probably close in design to that in the Bow Drawing Room, with these encaustic tiles lining the aperture. When the new Library was created in the 1880's by Richard Myddelton (d.1913), the bookcases from Pugin's Ante Room (just visible in the Hon. Sarah Wombwell's interior of the Lower Corridor lot 117) and presumably also the chimneypiece (lot 492) were removed.

More from CHIRK CASTLE, WREXHAM, WALES

View All