About this objectRidge tile in form of helmeted man on horseback standing on the round-topped tile, green glazed. Made of two parts, the figure and the tile, with a lead flashing as the glue or sealant between them. One of a pair, which stood at opposite ends of the roof of The Brotherhood (2 Bancroft, Hitchin), built in 1474 as the home of The Guild of Our Lady. The fate of the second tile is not known.
Originating in China, equestrian ridge tiles were first made in Britain during the late fifteenth century, becoming popular in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The style of armour worn by the rider suggests a date no earlier than the later sixteenth century.
The tile was the second to last logo of Hitchin Museum. Hitchin Museum's tile logo was replaced with a pharmaceutical logo in the 90s. This final logo stood until the closure of Hitchin Museum in 2012, ahead of the merger with Letchworth Museum which created North Hertfordshire Museum.
