EARLY CHRISTIAN ART 



The most remarkable specimen of zoomorphic ornament is on the base 

 of the font at Great Hautbois, which is composed of interlaced dragons, very 

 much resembling Saxon work in style. As a general rule the zoomorphic 

 and anthropomorphic decoration on the Norman fonts of Norfolk consists of 

 semi-human semi-bestial grotesque heads placed in the following different 

 ways : — 



Three heads in a horizontal row on one of the faces of the square bowl (Castle Rising). 



Four heads, one at each of the lower corners of the bowl, and forming the capitals of the 

 supporting columns (South Wotton). 



Two heads, one at each of two of the upper corners of the bowl, with foliage issuing from the 

 mouths (Burnham Deepdale). 



Four heads, one at each of the upper corners of the bowl, with foliage issuing from the 

 mouths (Toftrees). 



Four heads, one at each of the upper corners of the bowl, with a plaited cable passing through 

 the mouths (Sculthorpe). 



Four heads, one in the middle of each face of the bowl at the bottom (Shernborne). 



Foliage is used in the decoration of nearly all the Norman fonts of 

 Norfolk, and is of the usual conventional kind which was common in the 

 twelfth century in England. 



Although there are so many fine Norman doorways in Norfolk, it is 

 remarkable that only two of them should have sculptured tympana. These 

 are at Tottenhill and Mintlyn, as already mentioned. The design on the 

 Tottenhill * tympanum consists of a circular cross, with expanded ends to the 

 arms, surrounded by a cable moulding which is continued along the edge of 

 the lintel. The Mintlyn ° tympanum is similar, but the circular space where 

 the cross should be is left plain, possibly with the intention of having the 

 cross painted. 



The most characteristic examples of Norman doorways without tympana, 

 but having elaborately sculptured arch mouldings, are at Heckingham, 

 Chedgrave, Gissing, Hales, and Sheringham. The doorways at Barton St. 

 Mary have beak-heads, and sometimes there are grotesque heads on the 

 keystone of the arch (as at Kirby Cane), or at the lower ends of the hood- 

 moulding (as at Sheringham) . Geometrical star-patterns occur at Framlingham 

 Earl and Sheringham, and interlaced work at Wroxham. The richest of the 

 doorways have three orders of mouldings of the usual Norman type. 

 Illustrations of a large number of the Norman doorways of Norfolk are given 

 in J. S. Cotman's Specimens of Norman and Gothic Architecture in the County 

 of Norfolk ; Specimens of Architectural Antiquities in various Counties in 

 "England ; and A Series of etchings illustrative of the Architectural Antiquities 

 of Norfolk. 



Amongst the miscellaneous architectural details exhibiting Norman 

 sculpture, those deserving most notice are the niches with figures over door- 

 ways at Norwich and Haddiscoe. 



' C. E. Keyser, Norman Tympana and Lintels, fig. 1 2. 

 ' Cotman, Architectural Etchings, ser. 3, vol. 2, pi. 29. 



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