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four pieces of red and brown clay with designs on themfour pieces of old brick sitting on top of a white surfacea close up of a brick with a design on itfour pieces of old brick with writing on them sitting on a white surface
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536 - A set of four terracotta paving tiles made from an orange-br…
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Estimate €400 - €600
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Description
A set of four terracotta paving tiles made from an orange-brown clay body and finished with a yellow glaze, bearing the motto ‘Seule⭑’ surmounted by an oak sapling. When the four tiles are placed together, the intertwined initials N and G should appear in the centre, representing Nicolas Rolin (c. 1376–1462) and his wife Guigonne de Salins (1403–1470). Burgundy, Aubigny-en-Plaine workshop, c. 1450 13.5 x 13.5 cm Notes The inscription ‘Seule⭑’ is Nicolas Rolin’s romantic motto for his wife and can be interpreted as ‘you are my only star’, unless it refers to the Burgundian chancellor’s devotion to the Virgin Mary. These tiles are in fact probably part of the set of ‘50 thousands of quarrons’ that he commissioned from Denis Géot (or Le Géot) in March 1448 for the paving of the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune. They were produced based on a design by Jehannin Fouquerel, a ‘stone carver residing in Dijon’, who is thought to have copied the paving from the Chancellor of Burgundy’s mansion in Dijon. It is, however, possible that these four tiles originate from another of Nicolas Rolin’s residences, as he is thought to have fitted several of his homes with such tiles, as evidenced by the fragments found in the ruins of the Château de Présilly, which Rolin had had repaired. The Aubigny-en-Plaine tile works was run by the Géot or Le Géot family (Denis or Denisot Géot, then his son Girardin, followed by Jacques and Etienne Le Géot) for a century. In addition to the floor tiles for the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune, it is thought to have produced glazed tiles for the Carthusian monastery at Champmol. Sources consulted: - M. Maerten, ‘Note on tiles bearing the motto of Chancellor Nicolas Rolin (c. 1376–1462) and Guigone de Salins (1403–1470)’, in *La Physiophile*, no. 183, December 2025, pp. 8–11. - J. Rosen & M. Picon, ‘Laboratory research into certain Burgundian workshops that produced medieval floor tiles’, in *Artisanats, sociétés et civilisations*, Dijon, 2006, pp. 649–657. Enclosed is a terracotta floor tile with an orange-brown body and yellow glaze depicting a fleur-de-lis, 15th century, as well as an unglazed tile engraved with a fleur-de-lis. Expert: Laurence FLIGNY
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About the sale Prestige, Day Two. Silverware, furniture and works of art.
Auction location
Auction time 08/04/2026 at 2:15 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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