A COLLECTION of 16th century Spanish tiles found in an Edinburgh basement is expected to fetch up to £15,000 at auction next week -- after being identified as matching those from an historic church.

Experts believe the 200 ceramic tiles may have originally come from a “secret ceiling” in the church of Santiago in Carmona, 20 miles from Seville.

A bricklayer uncovered a ceiling of around 2000 ochre, blue, green and lustre glazed tiles, disguised behind the existing decoration while repairing the church roof in the 19th century.

Some of the recovered tiles were later sold, with the Victoria & Albert Museum acquiring 42 pairs in 1881 and the National Museum of Scotland procuring some in 1894.

More than 200 pieces were recently discovered by specialists from Lyon & Turnbull auctioneers during a routine valuation at a house in Edinburgh.

Valued at £10,000-15,000, they will be sold at the auctioneers’ Fine Furniture & Works of Art auction in Edinburgh on Wednesday [SEPT 27].

Lyon & Turnbull specialist Theo Burrell said today/yesterday [FRI]: “My colleague found the boxes of tiles in the basement of an Edinburgh house, and realised they were something unusual and potentially early.

“It wasn’t until we started researching them that we identified what they might be, much to the vendor’s amazement.

“This offers a rare opportunity for collectors and buyers alike to acquire a traditional Spanish art form of great age, beauty and history.”

The church of Santiago in Carmona dates back to the 14th century and the reign of Peter I. The tiles found in the church were arista tiles, whereby moulded raised lines created the patterns displayed, helping the glazes to

stay separate.

These types of tiles became the most lucrative of the pieces produced in the region of Seville, being an important export commodity for Spanish potters.

The versatility of tiles also led to their success in Spain, where they were used on floors, walls and ceilings.

They were also often placed within churches for ornamental as well as educational purposes, and their decoration took on repeating floral patterns as well as figurative and religious displays.

Their distinctive designs lasted the test of time, and arguably influenced European potters such as Minton and the Derby Tile Company during the late 19th century too.