This panel forms part of the Norman font at Aston le Walls and displays a vigorously carved Tree of Life design, executed in shallow but bold relief. The carving is divided by vertical ribs into compartments, each containing a stylised vegetal motif characteristic of early Romanesque ornament.

On the left, a pair of large, curling leaf-forms rises from a common base, their spiralling tips and voluted stems giving the composition a rhythmic, almost symmetrical structure. To the right, an arc-bending stem curves downward to form an inverted palmette, whose broad leaves spread outward like wings. The heavy outlining and simplified modelling—broad, flat leaves with incised midribs—are typical of 12th-century Midlands stonework, where craftsmen sought expressive pattern rather than naturalistic depiction.

A twisted rope-moulding at the left margin frames the composition, marking the edge of the font’s narrative or ornamental sequence. Such cable-work borders are widely used in Norman sculpture to give structural emphasis and are associated particularly with fonts in Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and the East Midlands.

The “Tree of Life” theme—rooted in biblical imagery of paradise, resurrection, and spiritual nourishment—was a frequent symbolic choice for Norman fonts, linking baptism with entry into the new, redeemed life. The Aston le Walls example is notable for its vigorous, almost abstract handling, which aligns it with the expressive carving traditions seen at nearby sites such as West Haddon, Ewerby, and Great Doddington.

Overall, this panel exemplifies the robust, pattern-driven Romanesque style of the region and forms an important part of one of Northamptonshire’s more architecturally significant Norman fonts.