Glencairn Museum No. 6

Described in Cahn (1979-1999, vol. II: 62-64): one of a group of seven limestone capitals dating from the 12th-13th century, originally from the south of France and now in the collections of the Glencairn Museum in Pennsylvania. This particular capital is described in Cahn: "This last capital [...] presents another variant of this design [i.e., foliage-covered abacus, animal masks on the centre of the sides framed by animals whose heads join at the angles] and shows paired lizards joined in a single head at the corners and an animal in the place of the rosette. The abacus, carved in the same block, displays a meandering tendril with finger-like palmette leaves." The Glencairn Museum facilitated the following description to BSI: "Capital strongly flaring out from astragal to abacus. Four beasts with their necks stretched upward meet four other beasts that curve downward to bite their heads. In center of each face, between the beasts, an animal mask. Basket of capital almost completely dissolved with beasts forming shape of capital. Undecorated astragal, abacus with acanthus rinceaux. Provenance: unknown. Condition: surface abrasions throughout, minor breaks at heads of beasts." The Museum facilitated also the other two elements [Inv. nos. 09.SP.69B and 09.SP.69C]: "column shaft [...] undecorated monolithic shaft [...] Condition: minor surface abrasions"; the base: "square, high block with base, double torus, scotia, and angle spurs (small leaf)[...] Condition: Minor surface damage to block and moulded base." [We are grateful to The Glencairn Museum, Academy of the New Church, Brynn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and to Nathan Cole, for the information on, and images of this fragment]