Date:
15th century AD

Object Details:
This wonderful carving is one of two preserved from the roof of the parish church of St John Baptist at South Croxton. It is made from oak, the most traditional building material of English churches.

There is a tradition of depicting people's faces on church architecture outside the building in the form of gargoyles and inside in carved wood and stained glass.

When this carving was first made, the inside of the church would probably have had stories from the Bible painted on the walls as a way of helping people understand their religion.

The face is carved in a stylised form and may be that of a local resident of six hundred years ago. Its style is similar to the way that ordinary people were beginning to be shown in northern European art during the 1400s.  

The roof corbel was cut out during repair works to the church in the 1950s.

Object Location:
Charnwood Museum
On display?

Themes:
Leicestershire People  |  Religion

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