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Isolde in the boat to Brittany, Tristan series tile (BM 1885,1113.8990)

39447
By Mo Amin '23




Forbidden love in the Celtic legend of Tristan and Isolde is the centerpiece of this tile roundel and its associated series. Here Isolde journeys over the ocean to Brittany to heal her wounded lover, Tristan. In the midst of uncertainty, Isolde’s face is marked by concern.  Medieval narratives of Tristan and Isolde were related orally and in manuscripts, some of which were illustrated with images.  An early example of an illustration of a romance in a non-manuscript format, tiles from the Tristan series were found alongside the combat series in the ruins of the chapter house at Chertsey Abbey. Both the Tristan series and the combat series were originally commissioned by the court of King Henry III for one of the royal palaces, but the molds were later reused at Chertsey Abbey. The Tristan series tiles reference romantic passion and, surprisingly, were installed in a monastery, where such thoughts might be presumed to be prohibited.

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