This finely carved medieval misericord (c1450-1500) shows a central female figure, crowned and dressed in long robes, extending her cloak wide in a protective gesture. Beneath the mantle, a group of small, kneeling supplicants cluster on either side, their hands raised in prayer. The scene is a classic medieval motif of the Virgin of Mercy (Madonna della Misericordia), an image in which the Virgin spreads her cloak to shelter the faithful beneath it.
Miserichords-and-Poppy-heads Theme Pages
Miserichords are carved wooden supports beneath folding choir seats, offering discreet rest during long services. Often decorated with secular or fantastical scenes. Poppy-heads are ornamental finials on pew ends, typically shaped as foliage or figures, symbolizing themes like sleep or resurrection. Used together, the phrase refers to the decorative and symbolic carvings in medieval choir stalls.
