Wood Carvings in English Churches: I. Stalls and Tabernacle Work. II. Bishop's Thrones and Chancel Chairs.Bond, Francis
History
Wood Carvings in English Churches: I. Stalls and Tabernacle Work. II. Bishop's Thrones and Chancel Chairs.
Bond, Francis
Choir stalls; Church decoration and ornament; Wood-carving
As a rule, design did not originate with the wood carver; it first found
expression in stone. And it well may be that to earlier work executed in
stone rather than to the stallwork of Ely the Lincoln design is to be
attributed. At any rate, the tabernacled canopies of wood are anticipated
in most marked fashion in the monument of Archbishop Stratford in
Canterbury cathedral. He died in 1348; his monument is therefore earlier
than any of the tabernacled canopies in wood. It consists of two stories,
with three gables below and a single niche above; then come spirelets with
pinnacles between.[24] There is a similar monument to Archbishop Kemp, who
died in 1454. Of the Lincoln work Mr A. W. Pugin said that "the stalls are
executed in the most perfect manner, not only as regards variety and beauty
of ornamental design, but in accuracy of workmanship, which is frequently
deficient in ancient examples of woodwork.... They are certainly superior
to any other choir fittings of that period remaining in England. The
misericords also are all varied in design, and consist of foliage, animals,
figures and even historical subjects, beautifully designed, and executed
with surpassing skill and freedom." As the work was begun by the treasurer,
John of Welbourn, who died in 1380, we may give it the approximate date of
1370. This is borne out by the fact {54} that on the base of the Dean's
stall are the bearings of Dean Stretchley, who died in 1376.[25]
Judging from the armour represented on the misericords the design of the
Lincoln stalls was copied very soon afterwards, say _c._ 1390, in Chester
cathedral, but with a magnificence of foliated ornament which is
reminiscent of the glorious stalls of Lancaster. For the main lines of the
design, however, the new type of canopy which had been worked out at
Lincoln was taken as a model; the details only are those of Lancaster, the
general design is from Lincoln. As at Lincoln, the lower canopy has
duplicated gables in front of each of the three faces of the main structure
of the canopy. This main structure starts from between pinnacled
buttresses, as it were, separating each canopy; then is brought forward
like an oriel window, having square-headed traceried windows, the whole
surmounted by a battlemented pierced parapet. In front of each face of the
oriel is first a truncated ogee arch, and second, a complete ogee arch,
both springing from a battlemented and pinnacled corner buttress. These
buttresses, whether between the canopies or in front of the corners of the
oriels, are truncated, the former rising not from the shoulders of the
stalls below but from angels, the latter from carved bosses or paterae. The
gables at the back spring from a higher level than those in front, and, as
at Lincoln, are truncated ogee arches. The three front gables are complete
ogee arches, which differ from those in the Lincoln stallwork in that their
lower convex curve spreads outward again. This is an important matter; for
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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