FRAGMENT OF A COLUMNETTE OF A PIEDIT in limestone... Lot 2

FRAGMENT OF A COLUMNETTE OF A PIEDIT in limestone carved in high relief with a stylized leonine head, called beakhead, pulling a tongue in the form of a fleur-de-lys.England, Lincoln Cathedral ?, 12th century Height : 20 cm - Width : 22 cm Depth : 9 cm (ears missing) This fragment of a colonnette typical of the Anglo-Norman style would come from the original facade of the west door of Lincoln Cathedral (Lincolnshire). It would thus be a rare remnant of the Romanesque church which was largely destroyed during the earthquake of April 15, 1185. Indeed, the contrast between the wear of the bricks on the side walls of the portal and the sharpness of the architectural decorations on the current columns suggests that many elements were replaced by identical replicas, certainly during the restorations carried out in the 18th and 19th centuries, in order to preserve the origin of the Romanesque round-headed portal (fig.).