THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF SAINT PETER IN EXETER

Misericords

Misericords are tip-up seats that were provided to give some support during the lengthy services of mediaval times.

The Exeter misericords are remarkable for many carvings which consist entirely of foliage or grotesque beasts bursting into leaf and thus straddling the boundaries of the animal and plant worlds. The inspiration for these creatures came perhaps from the decoration of the old Norman cathedral still standing when the misericords were carved. Most of the foliage depicted is conventional 'stiff-leaf' (i.e. sprays of three or five-lobed leaves, grooved or ridged along the centre of each lobe) which is typical of 13th-century sculpture, and examples of which can be found in the Chapter House.

They form the earliest complete set in existence and were probably finished before 1279.

They are numbered 1 to 21 on the South side and 22 to 49 on the North.

Each seat is carved from a single piece of wood, and in such a way that the roughly triangular wedge-shaped block which carries the central ornament supports the ledge on which the clergyman sits. It is interesting to consider how successful the carver has been in accommodating his design to its load-bearing function.

NB: Only misericord 44a, the elephant, is on public display in the cathedral.

Pictures currently available:

• No. 1. Lion and dragon fighting. (14th century)
• No. 2. Stiff-leaf foliage with dragon supporters.
• No. 3. Oak leaves springing from a satyr's mask.
• No. 4. Bird sirens divided by fleur-de-lys.
• No. 6. Merman and mermaid.
• No. 7. Siren (damaged).
• No. 8. Foliage with heads of man and woman as supporters.
• No. 9. Female centaur.
• No. 11. Knight fighting a leopard.
• No. 13. Knight fighting a dragon.
• No. 14. Branch springing from dragon's mouth.
• No. 15. Man with pipe and tabor.
• No. 17. Male centaur.
• No. 18. Chevalier au Cygne.
• No. 19. Inverted head spewing foliage.
• No. 22. Inverted head (mistakenly restored as urn) with foliage.
• No. 24. Bearded portrait head in foliage with bishop and female supporting.
• No. 27. Crossbills.
• No. 28. 15th century work.
• No. 29. Hands in gloves.
• No. 30. Doves with strawberry leaf between them.
• No. 32. Strong man in loincloth.
• No. 33. Merman and maid holding tabor and head mask.
• No. 35. Two fish. Supporters may portray donors.
• No. 36. Lion.
• No. 38. Siren with two bodies.
• No. 39. Figure with two bird bodies.
• No. 40. Foliage with inverted head.
• No. 41. Locust of the Apocalypse.
• No. 43. Man putting weight.
• No. 44a. Elephant (now on display).
• No. 44b. Foliage with dove supporters (formerly in muniment room).
• No. 46. Mermaid
• No. 48. Asp and cockatrice
• No. 49. Medieval beast with two feet holding down two tails.

First picture

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