From Catholicism to Protestantism and back. Biblical motifs in Brno stove tile production in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.

Abstract

The oldest Brno stove tiles with relief decoration come from Špilberk Castle, the residence of the Margraves of Moravia from the House of Luxembourg since the beginning of the second half of the 14th century. Analogous finds are also known from the suburbium, i.e. from the area of the royal town of Brno, where we can most likely also situate the pottery workshop in which they were made. For the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Early Modern Period, we already have demonstrable evidence of stove tile production directly in the inner urban area, namely in two archaeologically examined workshops near the fortification walls. Both of them feature period-specific decorative motifs, which draw inspiration, either directly or in the form of symbolism, from the Old and New Testaments. Identical or slightly modified reliefs are found in other locations, especially in the Czech lands, including several castles (e.g. Lipnice, Lichnice, Potštejn, Cvilín, Landštejn and others).