Armorial Stove Tile with The Columns of Gediminas

The Columns of Gediminas is one of the most important symbols of Lithuania‘s statehood. This is a gothic stove tile made from white kaolin clay and it is considered to be one of the oldest pieces of art depicting this symbol (coat of arms). The Columns of Gediminas exist from the end of 14th century. First depictions of it were on coins of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The symbol was probably created during Vytautas’ rule and it firstly served as his personal coat of arms. Later The Columns of Gediminas became the coat of arms of the Grand Duke of Lithuania. There are records of The Columns of Gediminas found in documents from Council of Constance (Germany) from 1416 as the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It is also documented in „Codex Bergshammar“(1440), which is kept in Stockholm and „Armorial Gymnich“ (or „Lyncenich“) (1430), kept in Brussels.
Representative rooms of the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Casimir IV Jagiellon in the early brick castle in the 3rd quarter of 15th century were decorated with gothic tile stoves.
White kaolin clay is not found in Lithuania and stove tiles made of this type of clay are exceptional on a few more aspects – they are decorated with exceptionally artistic paintings, and are covered with high quality, bright and well preserved glaze. One can guess, that in this time masters from Poland brought either already made white clay stove tile panels or brought the white clay as a raw material.