Limestone capital decorated with lions, masks and foliage from the cloister of Saint-Marie de Lombez, south-west France, ca. 1140-50

Limestone capital from a cloister. On each of the longer sides are two lion-like beasts, their hind quarters almost touching, standing in leafy scrolls the ends of which are in their mouths. In the centre is a grinning mask. On each of the short ends is the forepart of a similar beast. The upper border is of palmettes in two alternating designs. Except for chips, the Capital is in good condition.

Purchased with Art Fund support

On each of the longer sides of the capital are two slender lions, standing back to back and highly stylized. Around these lions, who more resemble the lynxes that roamed much of Europe in the Middle Ages than the majestic African variety, swirl an conventionalized leafy scrolls, above which is a grinning animal mask. The lions appear to be eating or swallowing the vegetation, for the stems are in their mouths. An upper border is formed by a row of foliage, alternating between two leaf-forms, one with more leaves than the other.

This capital formed part of the cloister (the covered and often vaulted walk around an open courtyard or space within a religious building) of Sainte-Marie de Lombez (Gers), in south-western France. A capital is the uppermost part of a column, and in the Middle Ages these were customarily decorated with narrative scenes, generally of a religious Christian nature, or decorative foliage, carved in relief. Most capitals, like this Romanesque piece here, took the form of a trapezium carved in the round. This shape offered tremendous weight-bearing strength.

The style of this capital is 'Romanesque', a term which covers the period preceding Gothic during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. In England this style is sometimes called 'Norman', to imply the post-Norman Conqest style current during the same period.

Lombez was a Benedictine abbey, which was demolished in 1820, although only sixteen bays of the cloister survived by this date. The first to identify this piece as being from Lombez was Paul Mesplé: see P. Mesplé, 'Chapiteaux du Cloître de Lombez au Musée des Augustins de Tolouse et au Victoria and Albert Museum de Londres', in La Revue des Arts, 8 (1958), pp.177-84.

This capital formed part of the cloister (the covered and often vaulted walk around an open courtyard or space within a religious building) of Sainte-Marie de Lombez (Gers), in south-western France. A capital is the uppermost part of a column, and in the Middle Ages these were customarily decorated with narrative scenes, generally of a religious Christian nature, or decorative foliage, carved in relief. Most capitals, took the form of a trapezium carved in the round. This shape offered tremendous weight-bearing strength.

A.59-1935