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Dragon relief - North of France, 14th century

$10,589.49
£7,840.99
€9,000VAT Included
CA$14,749.66
A$15,005.87
CHF 8,599.87
MX$180,680.02
NOK 100,516.53
SEK 100,957.67
DKK 68,628.75

About the Item

Dragon relief Limestone architectonic fragment North of France, 14th century 13 x 38 x 16 cm This finely grained limestone block is carved in low relief with a dragon in motion, rendered with the expressive vigour characteristic of fourteenth-century Gothic sculpture. The creature extends across the full length of the principal face: its jaws are opened wide to reveal sharp fangs, while the compact body is articulated with scales. The form of the block—a rectangular parallelepiped with a sculpted front, roughened reverse, and damaged extremities—suggests a precise architectural function. It was most likely conceived as an element of a cornice, modillion, or corbel, intended to be viewed from below. Such a placement would account for the dynamic and emphatic modelling of the relief, rather than a composition designed for frontal narrative legibility. Traces of moulding visible on the upper surface further confirm its original integration within a coherent decorative programme. Within the medieval bestiary, the dragon (draco) occupies an ambivalent yet compelling position. While pre-eminently associated with evil in Christian tradition—embodying Satan defeated by Saint Michael or Saint George—it also assumes the role of guardian, protector, and apotropaic force in ecclesiastical architecture. Positioned high upon buildings as gargoyles, modillions, or corbels, such creatures were believed to repel malevolent influences and safeguard the sacred space under their watch. This dual register—that of diabolical monster and celestial guardian—confers upon the architectural dragon its full theological significance: evil subdued and placed in the service of God, its very ferocity transformed into an instrument of protection. The expressionistic treatment of the present relief, with its gaping jaws and aggressive stance, accords perfectly with this apotropaic function. Both the character of the limestone and the sculptural idiom suggest an origin in northern France. Norman workshops, heirs to a long tradition of vigorous animal carving extending back to the Romanesque period, continued during the fourteenth century to produce zoomorphic reliefs of notable expressive force. Comparable examples are preserved in the Musée de Normandie, Caen, and the Musée des Antiquités, Rouen.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 5.12 in (13 cm)Width: 14.97 in (38 cm)Depth: 6.3 in (16 cm)
  • Style:
    Gothic (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Stone,Carved
  • Place of Origin:
    France
  • Period:
    15th Century and Earlier
  • Date of Manufacture:
    14th century
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Bruxelles, BE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU6666249871912

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