Church Misericords and Bench Ends (Shire Library): No. 230

by RichardHayman (Author)

• New

  Paperback
  2009

  $10.10

  With the increasing disappearance of stained glass in medieval churches, the surviving wood carvings on church misericords and bench ends are extremely important in providing an insight into the medieval mind. The carved images were often used to convey the messages of the Christian faith in the Middle Ages but they were not just concerned with religion and religious symbols - they also told stories of mythology, humour and satire, showing illustrations of everyday life and people. This book outlines the history of church seating and discusses the craftsmen and the influences behind their work. Using illustrations, the author then explains the subject matter of these wood carvings, revealing how one can discover so much about medieval life - the spiritualism, moralism and the wit - within the carvings still found in churches today.

• Used

  Paperback
  2005

  $3.25

  Misericords, the ledges or 'mercy seats' provided for the comfort of the clergy while they sang the divine offices of the medieval Church, and the benches installed in parish churches in the later middle ages are the objects of a large proportion of the surviving medieval woodcarving in Britain. The subject matter of these carvings is not merely concerned with religion and religious symbolism. This book outlines the history of church seating, considers the status of the craftsmen and the influences on their work, and then explains the subject matter of the carvings.