Random Picture Thread

From the above Wikipedia link, another damaged misericord in the St-Gervais-et-St-Protais church of Paris.


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They could use the tub as a boat too I guess . .

Here's how it works . . .


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With the seat lifted (left), the misericord provides a ledge to support the user when standing.

The above picture is from the St Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, England.


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Above a misericord carving depicting two men and a woman in a boat in the Basilica of St. Maternus in Walcourt, Belgium.

From the last above link, another misericord carving in the Basilica of St. Maternus in Walcourt . .


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And there's that bad Devil with bellows on a misericord in the Great Malvern Priory in Malvern, Worcestershire, England . .


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It doesn't always seems to be fun to be in a church choir . . ​

 

( I've added to above post a link to the St Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. )

Below St Botolph's Church when looking south east from the Boston port visitor moorings on the River Witham.


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The tower of St Botolph's Church, Boston, is visible for many miles over the flat scenery of Lincolnshire and is known as "Boston Stump".


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Above the downstream side of the Grand Sluice, where the River Witham empties into The Haven at Boston, Lincolnshire. The lock is on the far right.



The Haven at Low tide in Boston, High Street and Doughty Quay are on the left, with the former Van Smirren's warehouse just left of the Stump.​

 

Some sculpture in medieval churches seem to be rather bizarre. I like this one. Carpenters building a boat?


This one was looking out of the ceiling in a chapel in Trogir, Croatia.

 

Now, who knows what the fellow on the right is doing on that miserichord?

 

It will no doubt be a depiction of Noah's ark under construction. Often medieval churches has sculptures showing biblical scenes, often in the order in which the bible presents them. Many people could not read, so it served as cues to show the story of a particular book - in this case Genesis and Noah. Usually only the dramatic or memorable stories, or those that illustrated a concept. I presume this would be a European church, as Anglo Saxon churches preferred by the most part pattern work, and much that wasn't pattern work was destroyed in Cromwells time. Later illustrations were done in 'bosses' or in stain glass in English churches after Cromwells wholesale destruction of any decoration in English Catherdrals. (Many Anglo Saxon catherdrals actually were painted inside, and were plastered very early on - the only surviving example I think is Ely Cathedral in one small section). I am not from the area, but have an interest in carving (stone and wood), and for a lovely examples of stories in 'bosses' (where the ceiling vaults meet) Norwich in the UK is quite remarkable.

These are often quite amusing, as they had little knowledge of the biblical eras they depicted, and very much out of scale (like the ark in the carving). Anachronisms are not uncommon in carvings and sculpture.

The New Age / Eco worshippers (Mother nature is a spirit etc) go nuts for weird church carvings called the Green Man, which is an eccentric depiction of a forest spirit.

 

Also of interest, and closer to boating, the Bayeux tapestry, done by William the Conquerors wife (and a number of assistants) has tapestry pictures of Nordic long boats used for the crossing in 1066. If you google the tapestry and look at the images you will see a number of illustrations of longboats. And a good illustration that scale, and accuracy, was not a great theme. The tapestry is the story of the conquest of England. It is worth a google if one is bored.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry

 

It's in St David's Cathedral, situated in St Davids at the River Alun in Wales.

Here's a bigger version of the posted picture . . .



‘‘ Detail of ship's carpenter misericord at St Davids Cathedral. ’’

The fellow on the right is just eating and drinking there I guess, but there's an Ship Builders Axe at his right hand . .

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Carving with an axe a boat making process

‘‘ Wood a traditional material used for making a boat, Carpenter carving the wood to use during the boat making process in West Bengal. ’’​

 

From the same link in the same church yet another misericord boat carving . . .



‘‘ Pilgrims in a boat misericord in St David's Cathedral. ’’


Oh, and also just saw a note there about the eating on the privious one . . .



‘‘ View of carved wooden relief of shipbuilders having lunch in St Davids Cathedral. ’’​

 

Does the phrase "hammered spit" help? He's manufacturing caulk. Also called mastic. The verb masticate comes from this process.

 

I think you are onto something. The carving is misinterpreted. They are not having lunch. They are preparing and laying in the oakum or whatever they used at that time into the laps after masticating it.

 

The axes shown, both actual and carved in wood, have great similarity to the Viking bearded axe.

 

Your explanation of the carving showing the shipwrights actual work makes a lot more sense than my interpretation and the note I later found. Lotta thanks for explaining

 

Carving

Thanks for all the info - I holiday in Wales every few years and will definitely go and see this church. Without that background I would have sworn it was part of a biblical story series as I have some familiarity with church carvings. Just goes to show what one can want to read into a small piece of the information.