.

medieval misericords misericord misericorde misericordes Miserere Misereres choir stalls
Bookmark and Share

© 2001 - 2010 All Rights Reserved

mittelalterlichen Miserikordie Chorgestühl.  středověké miserikordie. miséricordes médiéval.  middeleeuwse misericords.  Misericordia misericordias.  Misericordia medievale

N01

ARCHDEACON’S STALL Clean-shaven, nude figure with long hair thrusts a broad sword through the mouth of a beast

with an ape-like face and short tail. Its feet have three large claws, and it has a noose around its neck.

Supporters - Inverted grotesque head.

N02

PREBEND OF BURSALIS Two hairless apes looking backwards and supporting the bracket with their forefeet.

They sit with their hind feet intertwined.

Supporters - Flat head of dog-like monster, flanked by one paw on the outer side.

N03

PREBEND OF SELSEY Inverted triangular bunch of acanthus-leaves.

Supporters - Inverted dog’s head with protruding tongue.

N04

PREBEND OF FIRLE Composition of vine-leaves and grapes.

Supporters - Inverted hound’s head.

N05

PREBEND OF SUTTON Two hounds killing a hare; above them is a bat-like creature with outspread wings.

Supporters - Vine-leaf.

N06

PREBEND OF BRACKLESHAM Two feathered claw-footed beats with bulls’ heads, They are seated facing each other,

with one fore-limb each supporting the bracket.

Supporters - Leopard mask.

N07

PREBEND OF IPTHORNE Large vine-leaves and small bunch of grapes.

Supporters - Small lizard-type reptile.

N08

PREBEND OF HOVA VILLA Cowled and draped human figure with the hind-quarters of a beast with cloven hooves.

Above the rump of the figure is a large stylised vine-leaf.

Left Supporter - Young man’s head in a soft, round, bonnet like cap.

Right Supporter - Woman’s head in a wimple.

N09

PREBEND OF THORNEY Four-toed beast with long ears and a mane, facing to the right and eating foliage, which looks

like acanthus.

Supporters - Boss of stylised foliage.

N10

PREBEND OF SEAFORD Elaborate carving of an old man’s head, crowned with his long hair being licked by two

amphisbaenae, one on each side. This may be a variant of the Flight of Alexander.

Left Supporter - Grotesque human head with protruding tongue.

Right Supporter - Lion mask with protruding tongue.

N11

PREBEND OF HIGHLEIGH Bat-like creature with webbed hind feet, possibly representing a wyvern.

Supporters - Formal vine or maple leaf.

N12

PREBEND OF MARDON Bold lion’s mask.

Supporters - Lion’s head in profile, with jaws open to reveal teeth and tongue. [15th century]

N13

PREBEND OF SOMERLEY Dancing woman or posture-maker being kissed by a man holding a viol in his left hand.

Supporters - Grotesque inverted dog’s head, with sweeping tongue.

N14

PREBEND OF HAMPSTEAD Two demons with serpentine bodies and folded membranous wings, having between them a

crouching beast with long hind legs, suspended by its tail from the bracket.

Supporters - A three-lobed toothed leaf.

N15

PREBEND OF WINDHAM Two cowled heads placed back to back; on the left that of a young clean-shaven man, on

the right that of a bearded man. From beneath their cowls issues a flat-headed monster with a serpent’s body.

Left Supporter - Head with long hair.

Right Supporter - Head wearing a close-fitting cap.

N16

PREBEND OF BARGHAM Slip of a branch with two large oak-leaves.

Left Supporter - Bald head.

Right Supporter - Head with long hair and a skull-cap.

N17

PREBEND OF BURY Bust with human head and arms, with the elbows of his very long arms supporting the bracket;

he grasps his tail with his left hand.

Supporters - Grotesque face with protruding tongue and large ears.

N18

UNNAMED STALL Unidentifiable branch of foliage.

Supporters - Leaf from main branch.

N19

TREASURER’S STALL Jester, nude except for a hood, dancing with an ape-like beast.

Supporters - Hooded face upside down.

S01

CHANCELLOR’S STALL Fox sits playing a harp; his feet rest on a goose gazing up. Opposite is an ape, mutilated, so

that it is uncertain if he was playing an instrument or dancing to the fox’s music.

Supporters - Formal maple foliage.

S02

ARCHDEACON’S STALL Old man, bearded and moustached, performs a contortive feat. He holds his shins with his

hands, and is dressed in knee-breeches and a short-sleeved jacket.

Supporters - Grotesque dogs’ heads with protruding tongue and outstretched forepaws.

S03

PREBEND OF COLWORTH Two lions sejant sharing a common head from whose ears issue serpentine bodies terminating in

Supporters - Grotesque heads which are horizontal and form the supporters.

S04

PREBEND OF EXCEAT Griffin facing left and supporting the bracket with wings and tail.

Left Supporter - Face in torment,

Right Supporter - Bearded grotesque.

S05

PREBEND OF HOVA ECCLESIA Two monsters, with long, curled rams’ horns, sit supporting the bracket with heads

and upraised arms.  Between them, pointing upwards, is a creature with a bird’s body and outspread wings, but having a

flat head and bared teeth.

Supporters - Female head in wimple.

S06

PREBEND OF FERRING Two asps curled, with their heads horizontal and facing each other, supporting the bracket.

Supporters - Clean-shaven head with long, curled hair.

S07

PREBEND OF SIDLESHAM Composition of vine-leaves and grapes.

Supporters - Large vine-leaf.

S08

PREBEND OF WOODHORN Large composition of acanthus-leaves.

Supporters - Lion-mask

S09

PREBEND OF HEATHFIELD Two dragons or asps have their necks crossed and turned to face each other; one has the

other’s tongue in its mouth. They stand on the flowing hair of a small human head on the ground beneath them. Their tails

are curled and terminate in the mouths of the supporters.

Supporters - Grotesque heads in horizontal position wearing caps.

S10

PREBEND OF WALTHAM A composite creature with hooded face, human torso, beast’s haunches, and four claws instead

of a hoof. It tramples on an unidentified object, which looks like the hind leg of a beast; the creature has human hands and is

beating a tabor. It is probably a satyr. Beneath its uplifted curly tail is a clean-shaven human face.

Supporters - Formal vine-leaf.

S11

PREBEND OF WIGHTRING A monster with cloven hooves on its hind feet, claws on its front feet, and long, drooping ears.

It is devouring a serpentine creature. The tail of the larger beast  appears to be holding a third creature with a bull’s head

and a fish-like body.

Left Supporter - Draped head.

Right Supporter - Head with long hair.

S12

PREBEND OF MIDDLETON Two cowled heads, back to back, but more resembling a cloven-hoofed monster, half man,

half beast, with a pointed beard, centrally parted and caressed by the  right hand. The rear part is an ugly face with

grimacing.

Supporters - Animal head with mouth open, showing teeth.

S13

PREBEND OF GATES A draped figure is grappling with a lion, down whose throat it has thrust a broad sword so that it

emerges at the back of the neck. It is not certain if the figure is a female, but if so it is unusual for the feet to be shown.

Formal leaves flank the group.

Left Supporter - Female head in a wimple.

Right Supporter - Female figure in a frilled hood.

S14

SUBDEAN’S STALL Two heads, back to back. An old man on the left strokes his beard with his left hand; the young

man, scowling, has a foot touching his head. The subject rather resembles a wrestling match, but below these figures is

a creature with horse’s or ass’s body with mane and saddle and protruding tongue.

Supporters - Serpentine coils with flat head, having protruding tongue.

S15

PREBEND OF EARTHAM Finely carved mermaid, in a cap and holding a mirror.

Supporters - Inverted dog’s head with long ears.

S16

PREBEND OF HURST Harper with an English harp and a piper seated facing each other in high-backed chairs.

Left Supporter - Woman’s head in a wimple.

Right Supporter - Man’s head with long hair.

S17

PREBEND OF WISBOROUGH Formal oak-leaves and acorns.

Left Supporter - Man’s head with long hair.

Right Supporter - Woman’s head in a wimple.

S18

PREBEND OF FITTLEWORTH Two cowled heads, back to back. An old man on the left; the young man on the right.

A hand grasps the old man’s beard which is parted at the centre; he has a roll of hair along the top of his forehead.

Left Supporter - Clean-shaven head with long, curled hair, smiling.

Right Supporter - Clean-shaven head with long, curled hair, scowling, eyes closed.

S19

ARCHDEACON’S STALL Wyvern-like creature, whose tail has an amphisbaena head instead of a barb. Its head is

turned backwards.

Left Supporter - Inverted dog’s head with small ears.

Right Supporter - Inverted dog’s head with long drooping ears.

Bookmark and Share

www.misericords.co.uk HOME

Bibliography

Carlisle Cathedral photo page

Corpus of the misericords at Chichester Cathedral


Chichester Cathedral