Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 29/3. (2009)
Soós Zoltán: Coat of Arms Representations ont he Stove Tiles of the Târgu Mureş Medieval Franciscan Friary
204 SOÓS ZOLTÁN to Virgin Mary. The presence of the heraldic symbols within the friary had a powerful message to the visitor proving the importance and influence of the site attracting even more visitors. Description of tiles 1. Corner tile with the Báthory family coat of arm. The corner tile has the shape of a shield, having inside another shield that contains the symbol of the Báthory family, the wolf teeth. This is the only tile that has polichrome glaze. The teeth has white colour with blue stripes connected by a brown line, the backround is yellow. The inner shield edge has green colour surrounded by another yellow stripe and the external edge has green colour, (plate III/l). 2. Stove tile with the Drágffy family coat of arm. The square shaped tile has two dragons on the two sides, that hold each others tail and they hold a shield in their hands representing the coat of arm of the Drágffy family. Above the dragons there is an inscription on the two corners saying Georgius. The name and the coat of arm could represent George Drágffy the last male member of the family who died in 1526 in the Mohács battle. The tile has no glaze only the simple ceramic surface, (plate II/1) 3. Stove tile with the Drágffy family coat of arm. Fragment, the same type of tile as the one described above. On the fragment it was preserved the dragon from the left side and besides the initials Ge - Gi we have two numbers 15, on the missing side of the tile was the exact year. Therefore the stove and the tile was produced in the beginning of the sixteenth century, before the battle of Mohács, because the above identified Drágffy Georgius died in the battle. The fragment has green colour glaze, (plate II/2). 4. Stove tile fragment with the Drágffy family coat of arm. The fragment represents the left upper corner of the tile, it has a green glaze cover and on its upper left corner one can see the OR and IUS letters. These are part of the inscription Georgius, (plate III/2). 5. Stove tile with an eagle symbol. Only the upper part was preserved from the green glazed tile fragment, it has a renaissance frame with vegetal ornament. In the center we have an eagle its had is turned to the right side looking to a heraldic shield. On the shield we have the representation of another eagle, could be the heraldic symbol of Transylvania, but we miss other elements of the Transylvanian coat of arm, (plate V/2). 6. Stove tile with the coat of arm of the Barlabássy family. The tile is consisted of two fragments representing an ox and above its horns it is displayed the symbol of the sun and moon that is usually the Székely coat of arm and it refers to the position of Leonard Barlabássy who was the appointed leader (earl or comites in latin) of the Székelys, (plate IV/2). 7. Stove tile with the coat of arm of Sibiu (Nagyszeben, Hermannstadt). The tile fragment represents a knight in armour, preserved only until the chest. In his left hand the knight holds a sword with two edges, in his right hand he holds a shield were the coat of arm of Sibiu is depicted. The heraldic simbol of the town is represented by two crossing swords. The tile has a green glaze, (plate IV/1). 8. Stove tile with the Hungarian coat of arm. The coat of arm is surrounded by a vegetal ornament having four oak tree leaves displayed in the four corners. In the center of the tile
