Befitting its status as the best of the friezes on this site, I have included Ryhall’s in its entirety. I haven’t been able to find a way to satisfactorily caption these thumbnails, so I will refer to row and then column.
Top left (1/1) is what I believe might be a self-portrait of the master mason at this church. Or maybe it was a local tradesman? Either way, this is a superlative human image from 1400. How many such portraits exist in any form anywhere? There is another fine portrait on the west end of the south aisle (8/2).
Other Highlights:
The “Black-eyed Demons” that started this quest and which have counterparts at Oakham. Uniquely grotesque and humorous imagery. 1/2 to 1/5; 7/4 to 8/1
The “Bum-Scratcher”: 3/1 The “Jester”: 4/5 Green Men: 12/1 & 13/3 “The Bodhran Player” : 12/6 The Bat: 6/6
The “Shawm Player” 15/6: The Bull: 2/1 The “Demon with the Come-to-Bed Eyes”: 11/7 Owl with a Squirrel in his beak: 2/5
Note that the carvings around the side of the porch (6/6 to 7/2), including the bat, are not Demon Carver work: the porch was a later addition. Note also that I have included the “label stop” carvings, some of which (see particularly 3/3) are clearly also by the Demon Carver.
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