Thirteenth century capital, Much Marcle

The decorative top of a column is known as the "capital". Down the ages people used different designs so consistently that the period in which they were carved can be determined by the style. The capital shown above is in the style known as "stiff leaf", a decorative form favoured in Britain in the thirteenth century. Further stylistic and written evidence enable the capitals to be dated more specifically to c.1230-1240. This example is one of a number of capitals of this period that can be seen in the church of St Bartholomew at Much Marcle, Herefordshire.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

A Green Man

The Green Man is a folklore figure that appears in carvings and other depictions across Europe and the Near East. Most often it is represented by a face made of leaves, or with leaves sprouting from the mouth, nose, eyes or ears. It may represent fertility or a mystic Man of the Woods. In England the Green Man is most often seen in carvings in wood or stone in churches. Medieval masons and wood carvers, and medieval clergy if it comes to that, had no qualms about reproducing images of pagan figures in Christian buildings. This example is the decoration of a capital in Grange Court, the former market house that was converted into a habitation in Leominster, Herefordshire.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Mermaid

This mermaid capital resides in the seventeenth century Grange Court in Leominster. Whether it dates from that time or is a"Jacobethan" addition of the nineteenth century I don't know. What I do know is that it is a charmingly composed piece with the mermaids hair echoing the volutes of an architectural capital and the net of caught fishes looking very swag-like. Of course, one is bound to ask why, given that mermaids can swim wonderfully well, they need a net with which to catch fish.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100