Isolde in the boat to Brittany, Tristan series tile (BM 1885,1113.8990)
Forbidden love in the Celtic legend of Tristan & Isolde is the centerpiece of this tile from the late 13th century. An early example of an illustration of a romance in a non-manuscript format, tiles from this series – the Tristan series – were found alongside the combat series at Chertsey Abbey, this tile reveals the irony of referencing romantic passion in a church where thoughts of such are presumed to be prohibited. Both the Tristan series and the combat series were commissioned by the court of King Henry III for one of the royal palaces. The red earthenware tile is glazed over with a golden varnish. The two-tone tile has an outer band around the center roundel with motifs of mythical creatures with human heads and tails that resemble those of dragons. Visual concern appears on the faces of the subjects which is mirrored by Isolde. In the midst of uncertainty and of the supernatural, Isolde makes her journey to heal Tristan.
