Section of a marble screen from the workshop of Nicola Pisano, Italy (Pisa), ca. 1272

The relief is surrounded by a strip of uncarved marble on which the decoration has been effaced. It consists of two carved rectangles divided in the centre by a flat raised strip flanked by vine leaves. A female head is in the rectangle on the left, a lion and cub in the rectangle on the right.
The upper right and left corners are made up in plaster.

Given by Mr Bert Crowther

It is believed that this panel once formed part of the choir screen at Siena Cathedral. It is unclear when it was removed. The addition of coloured marble on its reverse suggests that at some point it was turned into a table top. It was probably at this point that the Greek and Latin inscriptions were added. It has also been suggested that the arms on the edge of the slab (a sextuple mount debruised with a bend, or six small hills covered by a band) might be those of the Chigi.

Historical significance: This panel is an unusual survival from Siena cathedral. Its carvings help clarify the role of assistants in the workshop of Nicola Pisano.

Choir screens shielded the altar from the general public. Though in Italy most were removed with the modifications to church architecture created by the Council of Trent, a few remain in their original locations, such as that of San Miniato al Monte in Florence. Most of these Romanesque screens were sculpted and found at the top of projecting platforms that elevated the altar above the crypt. It has been suggested that this type of east end elevation reflects the patronage of Countess Matilda of Canossa.

Carli proposed that the panel formed part of the choir surround in Siena cathedral. He attributed the section of the panel with the female head to Goro di Ciuccio Ciuti and Lapo, and the section with the lioness and cub to Goro alone. Goro and Lapo were assistants to Nicola Pisano. A 1272 document revealed that they were granted Sienese citizenship in 1272, which led Carli to associate the completion of the sculpture with this date. (Carli, p. 187).

This relief came from a screen that separated the clergy’s seating area from the choir in Siena Cathedral. The lion and cub are a symbol of Christ’s resurrection, as it was believed that cubs were born dead and revived at the touch of a parent’s breath.

A.21-1948