Stove Tile

functional; decorative

The figure is Mary, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1505–1558), widow of Louis II, and sister of Ferdinand I. After her husband’s death in 1526, she became regent of Hungary and Bohemia until her brother assumed the crown. She remained a widow for the rest of her life and became a keen art collector and patron of music. The inscription 81 KOR is a reference to Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 7:8: “To be unmarried and the widow I say that it is well for them to remain single, as I do.” The portrait on this tile was probably taken from an early sixteenth-century woodcut.

lead-glazed

Square earthenware tile with relief green frame and circular scroll medallion with a female bust, left profile, against a yellow background. "81 Kor" inscription flanking bust. Back and sides of tile are unglazed.