Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/310

 234 NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. incurred blame, it seems, by designing pavements, " quae levitatem et curiositatem prfeferunt," exhibiting some unbecoming selection of orna- ment, resembling, possibly, the grotesque subjects, occasionally obscene or indecorous, frequently found in cathedral or abbey churches. It is ob- vious that he had attained no ordinary skill in works of this nature, and it is remarkable that although few vestiges of such pavements have escaped the decay of time and the ravages of the revolution, evidences are pre- served, shewing the perfection and elaborate character of the fictile pave- ments which formerly enriched the abbey churches of Normandy. The limits of the present notice will not permit us to enter fully upon this sub- ject, to which we hope to advert on a future occasion. The curious cita- tion, however, given by Mr. Oldham regarding Beaubec, reminds us of the very remarkable pavement of the chapter-house at Jumieges, one of the most celebrated Benedictine abbeys, of which order the Cistercian was a branch. The building, and every trace of these decorations have perished, but a series of drawings have been preserved in the collections formed by Monsieur de Gaignieres, about the year 1700, exhibiting the tombs of the abbots of that monastery, described as tornbes de quarreaux, forming the pavement of the chapitre, and arranged side by side in several rows"^. The sketches are tinted, and shew that the figures were partly coloured ; in the example here given, the chasuble is red, the orfrays and maniple yellow, with blue ornaments. It is singular that the figure itself is represented as of one piece, not, like the pavement in Prior Crauden's chapel at Ely, of several portions cut out and united, as are the parts of a painted win- dow. The joints of the tiles are only seen in the surrounding parts of the tomb. Unfortunately, there are now no means of ascertaining the peculiar construction of these tornbes de quarreaux ; it might be conjectured that the figure was of stone, incised and painted, or of some other material, pre- senting a flat surface and surrounded by tiles, but this seems improbable. These curious tombs appear to have been executed at one period, probably when the pavement of the chapter house required to be renewed. Abbot Roger, first of the name, died, A.D. 1177. The abbots comme- morated are those who presided at Jumieges, during the twelfth and earlier part of the thirteenth century ; all the tombs appear to be the work of the latter period. We have the more readily presented this curious example to the readers of the Journal, as one amongst various fictile tombs which existed on the continent, because it has been stated recently, that remains of sepulchral memorials formed of tiles exist in our own country. If this be the case, it is hoped that this notice may draw forth further information on this subject. <i Eglises de Nonnandie, vol. ii. pp. 3G of tombs of tiles, one representing a knight — 46. This curious assemblage of draw- in mail, is tlicrc given, from Fontenay, and ings is preserved in Cough's Collections, is noticed by De Caumont, Bulletin Monu- iii the Bodleian Library. Another example mental, August, 1848.