Tiles Showing Tristan as a Pilgrim
1200–1300, England
© The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.

Medieval courtiers were entertained by performed stories. The tragic romance of Tristan and Isolde was popular, and spread widely across Europe from the 1100s. This Chertsey tile is part of a much larger pavement that tells the whole story. This is from an abbey, suggesting the story was well known outside of court circles as well.

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