Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 64b, The Simon Sainsbury Gallery

Head of a lady

Head
ca. 1260 - ca. 1280 (made), 1855-1856 (cast)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of a series of casts, mostly taken from the arcading in the chapter house at Salisbury Cathedral. Made before the restorations of the cathedral had been completed in 1855/6 they record the unaltered thirteenth century sculptures. Each face is unique. It is possible that the original sculptures were based on real people known to the artists who carved them. The heads represent various conditions of life at the time the chapter house was constructed; these 'types' communicate their occupation and social position through costume, hair-cuts and facial expressions.
The casts were first housed in the Royal Architectural Museum with the intention that they would provide craftsmen with an opportunity to study works which they were otherwise unable to visit. The collection was moved to the South Kensington Museum in 1857 and formally transferred in 1915.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleHead of a lady (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster cast
Brief description
Plaster cast of the head of a lady, made between 1855-56. Copied from the original in the Chapter House at Salisbury Cathedral, ca. 1260-1280.
Physical description
Head of a lady with her hair tied in a cloth which has the ends brought over the top.
Dimensions
  • Height: 23.5cm
  • Width: 18cm
  • Depth: 14cm
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Style
Historical context
Taken from the south arcade of the Chapter House, Salisbury Cathedral.
Summary
This is one of a series of casts, mostly taken from the arcading in the chapter house at Salisbury Cathedral. Made before the restorations of the cathedral had been completed in 1855/6 they record the unaltered thirteenth century sculptures. Each face is unique. It is possible that the original sculptures were based on real people known to the artists who carved them. The heads represent various conditions of life at the time the chapter house was constructed; these 'types' communicate their occupation and social position through costume, hair-cuts and facial expressions.
The casts were first housed in the Royal Architectural Museum with the intention that they would provide craftsmen with an opportunity to study works which they were otherwise unable to visit. The collection was moved to the South Kensington Museum in 1857 and formally transferred in 1915.
Bibliographic reference
Victoria and Albert Museum. Review of the Principal Acquisitions during the Year 1916, London, 1919, pp. 6-7.
Collection
Accession number
REPRO.A.1916-593

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Record createdDecember 5, 2006
Record URL
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