Imprints. Who Let the Dogs Out?
A look into the Middle Ages and the great clay brick artists of this period
Brick with imprint of a dog‘s paw (Late 14th Century - Early 15th Century) by UnknownNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
Who were these artists of the Middle Ages?
It has been determined that the greatest ceramic brick artists of the late 13th to 18th centuries were dogs. Construction of Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania using brick began in the mid-13th century
Nervure brick with imprint of a dog‘s paw (Late 15th Century) by UnknownNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
What kind of bricks were used?
With growing scale of construction, need for materials increased as well. Not only ordinary bricks were produced, but also ones of various shapes, called profiled bricks. This is an example of such brick from the mid-15th century, used for vaults of representative buildings
What type of art were dogs creating?
It seems that while the bricks were drying in workshops, dogs would (whether intentionally or not) step into these unfinished products. This was a great way to leave a centuries-lasting mark
Brick with imprint of a dog‘s paw (Late 14th Century - Early 15th Century) by UnknownNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
Who let these dogs out?
Even though these bricks are from Vilnius Lower Castle, imprinted paws did not belong to the ruler's dogs. The brick maker’s shop would be set outside of the city close to clay pits, which is why these markings are a reflection on the craftsman’s environment, not the ruler's
Brick with a cat‘s paw prints (16th-17th Century) by UnknownNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
Were dogs the only ones inclined to leave their markings?
Definitely not. During the drying period, which would take place simply on the ground or in sheds, hundreds or even thousands of bricks were not well safeguarded. That is why markings of not only dogs, but also cats, goats, pigs or other animals are found quite often
Where was the cat from the Middle Ages headed?
In this brick 2 paws of a cat can be seen, yet the right side is set in seemingly deeper, which indicates that this cat was heading right
Brick with a shoe print (Late 14th Century) by UnknownNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
Was this art appreciated by the man of Middle Ages?
Such imprints were not considered art, but also not a problem. Imprinted or not, all bricks would be used, hiding any markings made by animals or people. This brick from the end of 14th century is an example of manmade marking - it has an imprint of a child‘s shoe
Created by Sandra Vaitkevičiūtė
Translated by Ignė Grigaitytė
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