Archaeological Journal/Volume 9/Notice of an Example of Decorative Coloured Brickwork in the Neighbourhood of Rouen
Portion of Bay, Pigeon-house, at Boos, near Rouen.
NOTICE OF AN EXAMPLE OF DECORATIVE COLOURED BRICKWORK IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF ROUEN.
Pigeon-house, at Boos, near Rouen.
During a recent visit to the city of Rouen, and a fresh examination of the varied architectural remains existing in that part of Normandy, my attention was attracted to a little building of unusual character. It appeared to present a subject which might prove acceptable to those readers of the Archaeological Journal who take an interest in the adaptation of fictile work, as a means of producing architectural decorations; and, as a very pleasing and uncommon specimen of its kind, I hope that the accompanying representations may be viewed with interest.[1]
It is a pigeon-house of an octagonal form, with a round cornice; this, and the angles of the building, the base- moulding, and the string-course between the upper and lower stage, is of stone; the other parts of the building- are of brick. Each face is divided into two stages, the upper is panelled in brickwork; the lower has a plain surface. Both exhibit much variety in the colours of the bricks, and the patterns in which they are disposed; the colours employed are red, of two different tints,—purple, green, and yellow: the three latter are glazed.
But the chief peculiarity is a row of glazed tiles, each having, on a white ground, a head in profile, in a round medallion, coloured; or else an ornamental pattern, as is shown in the accompanying coloured illustration.
The tiles themselves are of square form. I should incline to think that the date of this work cannot be far from the beginning of the sixteenth century, as, at an earlier period, we should hardly find the adaptation of a round cornice to an octagonal building, the lower mouldings cropping out of the plane surfaces; and at a later period we should find marks of the revived Italian st3de.
The house to which this building belongs is of considerable antiquity, and retains, amongst later works, some windows apparently of the fourteenth century. It is situated near the church, in the village of Boos, about five or six miles from Rouen, on the upper road to Paris.
J. L. PETIT. 
PIGEON-HOUSE AT BOOS, NEAR ROUEN
- ↑ The Central Committee have the gratification to acknowledge the kindness of Mr. Petit, now absent on the continent, in presenting to his friends at home the illustrations here given.