Monumental Brass Rubbing of Walter Frilende (c.1376)

Story

In 1376, a priest named Walter Frilende was memorialized in Surrey. Nearly 600 years later, in November 1968, an artist named Pamela Wyman knelt on a stone floor to capture his likeness using wax and paper.

Maker / Origin

While the original 14th-century engraver is unknown, the 'maker' of this specific piece is Pamela Wyman, a practitioner of the mid-20th-century brass rubbing craze. This hobby allowed enthusiasts to create direct physical links to medieval history, though many churches eventually banned the practice to prevent wear on the ancient brasses.

Condition & Value

The paper shows significant horizontal creasing from being rolled and some edge wear. There are no visible tears in the central image area, but the paper would require professional flattening and framing to reach the higher end of the value range. The creases reduce value by roughly 20-30%.