Two maiolica tiles from the castle of Oiron, France, 1545-1550 Dim.: 11 x 11 cm (each tile)  Provenance: The collection of Piet Swimberghe, art historian and author of various works and articles on the subject of European pottery.  The chapel of the Oiron castle was built by Claude Gouffier, related to Anne de Montmorency, who built the chapel at Fère-en-Tardenois. The entire floor of the chapel consisted of maiolica tiles of the type presented. It also included the builder's motto: Hic Terminus Haeret. The floor is still largely intact in situ. A number of tiles found their way into private collections in the 19th C. The Musée National de Céramique de Sèvres was given nine tiles, which are described in the 1897 catalogue. (link) It is supposed that the tiles were produced locally.     See also:- Octave Guillaume de Rochebrune, Revue Poitou et Vendée (n°64) : Faïences d'Oiron, for an illustration of four tiles. (link)- Conference on ceramics from the Oiron Region, 2013, for an illustration of four tiles. (link)