A Cut Above...

[endlessrarities]

There's medieval carved stone capitals.  And there's Iona medieval carved stone capitals.

I spent a year working at the Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historic Monuments of Scotland a few years back, and I was fortunate enough to stumble across some of their drawings of these marvelllous pieces of medieval stone masonry.  I was overwhelmed, both by the standards of the illustration (stunning) and by the stonework.  From that point on, I made it a personal ambition to visit the abbey and see these carvings for myself.

I was not disappointed, though it's a bit difficult to see these artworks at close hand because they're located well above head-height.  And my poor little camera was finding the focussing a bit difficult in these gloomy surroundings.

Here's a view of one of the capitals:

 

And a close-up of one of the carvings:-

 

There's plenty more where this came from, but unfortunately I didn't photograph them.  But if you're keen to see more of the abbey and its carvings, please click on the link below and you'll be taken to the Royal Commission site, where you can admire some tremendously fine photographs of a tremendously fine monument!

 

Here it is:-

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/21664/details/iona+iona+abbey/

Go check it out!  It's well worth it....

 

Comments

[jandersoncoats.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of the Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historic Monuments. I used to sit on the fifth floor of the university library with a big stack of their oeuvre and spend precious precious hours marking pages to photocopy.

Now I can click. Happy Friday to me!

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. All these resources at your disposal, and you don't even have to leave your sitting room...

I wish the English & Welsh commissions would do likewise. But they're a bit slow on the uptake...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Terrific.

That first one seems to be a centaur.

Sagittarius?

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it's Chaeron,or just a symbol of bestiality & evil things? I didn't spend too much time gawping as it was a bit of a rush to a) see the abbey, and b) see the marble quarry, and c) get back across the water in time for tea!

[writeonq.livejournal.com]

Capitals-R-Us over here. Love them! Thanks for the photos and link ;~)

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Glad the link came in useful! There's some nice pictures there...

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine is writing about gargoyles. Do you know of any that are not used to decorate churches? If this is not an ok question - not my bag dudette - please just ignore it.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I've seen a drainage spout in the form of a grotesque animal at Craignethan Castle, which was definitely a domestic structure, but it was just a head and mouth, rather than a whole beast... It was also probably quite late in date, maybe even 16th century. I can't offhand remember any such figures that remain in situ. I shall keep an eye open...

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you so much!

Also, I told one of my other friends that she might want to check out your posts. She is interested in archeology.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Send her along. The more, the merrier!!