Saladin was the sultan of Egypt and Syria and founder of the Islamic Ayyubid dynasty. On this English-made tile, Saladin sports clothing associated with Saracens (a medieval Christian term for Muslims), including a pointed cap, a loose tunic instead of armor, and a large sword with a curved edge. Here, Saladin has been pierced with Richard’s lance, and, wounded, he slides gracelessly from his mount, which regards us with two large, staring eyes. It is an unflattering portrayal of both the man and his horse; showing non-Christians in a negative light was common in medieval Europe. The image is propagandistic: not only did Richard never subdue Saladin in single combat; the two never even encountered each other in a duel, although they were military opponents in the Third Crusade. Nor was the the Third Crusade concluded with an English or Crusader victory: it ended with a truce.