Medieval Limestone Cloister Capital with Green Man Heads

SOUTH WEST FRANCE, LATE 12TH CENTURY A.D.

11 1/4 in. (16.1 kg, 28.5 cm).

With square upper face developing to a round base; the spandrel decorated with a frieze comprising two grimacing faces linked by interlacing foliage; the back with two large acanthus leaves flanking a lanceolate floral motif. [No Reserve]

Provenance

SAS Guillaumot-Richard, 25 June 2016, no.202.
Ex central London gallery.

Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12183-221702.

Literature

Cf. Fogg, S., 30 heads, Stone heads from the 12th to the 15th century, London, 2018, pp.5ff., for similar images; Lassalle, V., ‘Les chapiteaux, l’organisation du décor et quelques particularités architecturales de l’église Notre-Dame, à Saignon (Vaucluse)’ in Archéologie du Midi médiéval. Tome 20, 2002, pp.37-55, for similar capitals with interlaced foliage, fig.4.

Footnotes

Green Man masks are commonly found as bosses in the aisles of churches or in the cloisters of monastic complexes.

CONDITION

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LOT 0396