Friday, 2 July 2010

Gothic/Classical 1520s English bedpost at the V&A


Saw this item in the British galleries yesterday. Interesting combination of the old and the new, and very prominent are the roundels at mid-post.
Not visible from the photograph are the posts capitals. The upper one is not carved at all (the V&A speculate the carver was to begin a classical one but gave up!), whereas the bottom one, whilst remaining square in X-section, is decorated with Gothic tracery.
Hard to discern are whether the roundels are all'antica or not. I believe at least one of the portraits is wearing a Greco-Roman helmet... the others I'm not so sure.

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O80447/bedpost/

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