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. |
Corpus of the misericords at Chichester Cathedral