Architectural ceiling boss with two dragons, probably from the Church of St. Andrews at Cullompton
English
Description
March 28, 2009
Ceiling bosses are ornamental projections at the intersections of ribs in a vault or ceiling, and they are common decorations in Gothic architecture. Examples can be found in the entryways of the Neo-Gothic buildings of the Law School across South University Street. The pair of bosses displayed here possibly came from the parish church of Saint Andrew of Cullompton in Devonshire, England, built in 1430. One boss depicts a pair of rampant dragons with open wings and flared tails flanking a vegetal form, while the other represents four faces, two male and two female, arranged in a circular pattern. The symmetry of these designs would have reflected the geometric order of the church’s interior, which boasts elaborate wooden ceilings decorated with hundreds of bosses.
Subject Matter:
This architectural boss decorated with two dragons was originally placed in the crown of a ceiling vault at the point where the ribs of the vault met. The spreading forms of the dragons's wings and tails would have echoed the expansive radial pattern formed by the ribs, while the boss itself would have simultaneously emphasized the center of the vault.
Physical Description:
Two rampant dragons with open wings, wide flared tails and red-painted eyes stand facing one another with a large plant form held between them.
Usage Rights:
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