The monograph “Stoves and Stove Tiles of Bauska Castle” by I. Līne has been published. The book consists of two parts: a study of the stoves and stove tiles of Bauska Castle, and a catalogue featuring all types of stove tiles dating from the 16th to the early 18th century that have been discovered to date during archaeological excavations at Bauska Castle.

Archaeological investigations of Bauska Castle and its surrounding area have so far uncovered and catalogued more than 16,000 historical stove tiles and fragments. Stove tiles constitute the largest group of archaeological artefacts found at the castle and form one of the largest collections of its kind in Latvia. The collection comprises 277 distinct tile types, displaying characteristics of four historical styles: Late Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerism and Baroque.

The study section of the book provides a brief overview of the construction history of Bauska Castle and information about the archaeological investigations carried out there. These investigations led to the formation of the stove tile collection and uncovered further evidence explaining the locations and structures of the castle’s stoves. The book also includes an overview of archival materials, which not only documents the main phases of stove construction at Bauska Castle but also provides fairly clear indications of exactly where, when and what types of stoves were located within the castle.

A separate section of the book is devoted to the restoration project involving the stoves of Bauska Castle. It examines similar restoration projects previously undertaken in Latvia and neighbouring countries, presents the concept and methodological principles behind the work carried out at Bauska Castle in detail, and documents the process of restoring the stove tiles and reconstructing the stoves.

The catalogue section provides a detailed analysis of the types of stove tiles dating from the 16th to the early 18th century discovered during archaeological investigations at Bauska Castle. The corresponding tiles and fragments are held in the collections of Bauska Castle Museum and the National History Museum of Latvia. For the purposes of this catalogue, each distinct tile shape and each distinct relief decoration is classified as a separate type, regardless of whether it is represented by a single example or dozens of examples among the stove tiles from Bauska Castle. The collection catalogue is illustrated with reconstruction drawings and technical drawings created from three-dimensional scans of the tiles. The book also includes a summary in English.

The book can be purchased by contacting the museum by phone at +371 20011880 or by email at bauskaspils@bauskasnovads.lv. The price of the book is €56.