BLACK DOG OF WELLS

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Angel Piper

This angel playing the bagpipes comes from the Thistle Chapel, part of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh by whom the original tile was commissioned.

This small chapel designed by Robert Lorimer in 1911, is filled with carved and painted fittings of exquisite detail, including this charming wooden angel. The chapel is dedicated to The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Scotland's foremost Order of Chivalry. The Order, which was founded by James VII in 1687, consists of the monarch and 16 knights, the personal appointment of the crown. Normally these are Scots who have contributed significantly to national or international affairs. Knights have included Sir Alec Douglas-Home, and Sir Fitzroy MacLean. There are currently 15 members of the Order of the Thistle, leaving one vacancy. Aside from these 15 members, there is of course Her Majesty the Queen, together with The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

This tile design, with its pretty silhouette, looks good in one of our frames.

Dimensions: 9.5cm x 11cm

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Bon Appetit!

Inscription: BON APPETIT!

“Bon Appetit!” we say as we raise our glasses and start our meal. This is the traditional French way of saying "enjoy your food” and yet there is really no obvious English equivalent.

Here the words are inscribed into a traditional French casserole or marmite. This original design is modelled from life, and includes a fish, onion, grapes and a mushroom. Just the ingredients for a subtle recipe!

This would make an original and inspiring wall hanging for the kitchen – above the Aga or near the work surface. Don’t forget that terracotta tiles are resistant to heat and grease. If they do become spattered with a wildly stirred sauce or oil, they can be scrubbed with a strong detergent or put through the dish-washer.
A really good present for any Francophile, gourmet or cook.

Dimensions: 10.7cm x 11.2cm

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Good Food

Inscription: FOR GOOD FOOD AND FOR GOOD FRIENDS PRAISE BE

The harvest sheaf, traditional symbol of plenty and fruitfulness, was a favourite image of our ancestors. This wall decoration was based on an original Victorian cast brass door-stop, and the words, “For good food and good friends praise be” are from a traditional grace said before meals.

Terracotta may be heated in the oven and once warm, it can be used as a bread-warmer to conserve the warmth of bread or rolls on the dining table. Instructions are given with the tile for use in this practical way. The ceramic tile with its pleasing design and positive message is an attractive and useful addition to any kitchen. This wall plaque would make an unusual and attractive present at thanksgiving time for friends and family.

Dimensions: 9cm x 11cm

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Good Wine

Inscription: WINE GLADDENS THE HEART

Over the centuries, the vine has been used again and again as a decorative image. The leaves and grapes have formed the border of Roman mosaics, curled around medieval pillars and doors and woven their way through fabrics and embroideries right through the ages.

Inspired by pottery seen in Sicily and modelled in terracotta, the grapes appear here on a single vine leaf. The quote is adapted from Psalm 104, verse 15 – “and wine that maketh glad the heart of man....”

It can be difficult to find a present for the man in your life: This makes a really excellent gift for any wine lover.

Dimensions: 10.5cm x 10cm

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Let Us Make Musick

Inscription: LET US MAKE MUSICK

This amusing decorative plaque shows a piper, bulbous cheeked with the effort of blowing his bagpipes. It is based on a carving on St Swithun’s Building in Magdalen College, Oxford. The words come from a traditional Christmas carol.

This wall design makes an unusual gift for all musicians and music lovers.

Dimensions: 11cm x 10.7cm

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Posy of Herbs

Inscription: HERBYS NECESSARY FOR A GARDYN... FOR SAVOUR AND BEAUTE

Marjoram was one of the strewing herbs used to give our ancestors’ houses a clean and pleasant smell.
Rosemary has always been widely used to give a piquant tang to all sorts of meat dishes.
Thyme was, and still is, a basic herb used to flavour forcemeats and stuffings.
Mint, both fresh and dried, has always provided flavour to many dishes, both sweet and savoury.

Tied together with a formal ribbon, the four different herbs on this wall plaque are based on various engravings from 16th century Herbals. Together, they form a posy of herbys round which is engraved “Herbys Necessary for a Garden for Savour and Beaute”. The words form the title of a book written by Thomas Fromon and published in 1535, which included thirty species of herbs essential for a garden.

This decorative plaque is an ideal addition to any kitchen or herb garden.

Dimensions: 10.3cm x 10.3cm