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Secondary sourceArtifactc. 1250-1260

Chertsey Tiles of Richard and Saladin

c. 1250-1260

A set of medieval English tiles showing the legendary joust between Richard I and Saladin, now in the British Museum.

These tiles show Saladin as Richard I's legendary rival, reflecting how medieval England remembered him centuries after his death.

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A rectangular panel of decorated medieval earthenware tiles with lead glaze, arranged around two large circular tiles. The left circle shows a mounted rider and a horse with a figure; the right circle shows a mounted figure and a horse, with a helmeted head in the upper section. Surrounding tiles have scrolling foliage and heraldic-style patterns in yellow and green.
Tiles depicting Richard I of England and Saladin, c. 1250-60, Chertsey, England. British Museum.

About this source

What it is

These glazed earthenware tiles, made around 1250-60 at Chertsey in England, show a legendary joust between Richard I of England and Saladin. Two large circular tiles show mounted riders, surrounded by smaller tiles decorated with foliage and heraldic patterns. They are held today in the British Museum.

Why it matters

No such joust actually happened, but the image became one of the most famous ways medieval England imagined its wars with Saladin. It shows how Saladin was remembered in English culture as the great rival of Richard the Lionheart, long after the Crusades themselves had ended, and how legend could reshape historical memory.

Look closer

  • What does it mean that this scene is described as 'legendary' rather than historical?
  • Why might craftsmen decorate everyday objects like floor tiles with scenes of famous rulers?
  • What does the choice to show a joust, rather than a real battle, suggest about how the English wanted to remember Saladin?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saladin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Sepia photograph of the Tomb of Saladin in Damascus. A large stone arch spans the left, behind a domed structure with arched windows and a striped-arch window. Ruined walls, a rubble courtyard, and a few people near a ladder stand in front. The caption reads 791 Tombeau de Saladin Damas, with the name Bonfils.Photograph

Secondary source

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