Title

Corbel

Generic classification

Object

Date

Century

Cultural context / style

Dimensions

Material

Technique

Iconography / Theme

Provenance

Current location

Inventory Number in Current Collection

Object history

It is difficult to pinpoint the origin of a piece like this. The Philadelphia Museum is inclined to think that it comes from the Burgos area. It would not be strange, since in the province there are examples of similar capitals in the monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza in Hortigüela (Burgos) or in the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos (Burgos). The corbel represents intertwined vegetal motifs and acanthus leaves. This type of decoration was present in many places, so we cannot determine its original location. The piece became part of the Philadelphia Museum along with two others. All of them seem to come from the same architectural ensemble, therefore, it is probable that it was somewhere in present-day Castilla y León. However, we do not have more data that would allow us to know its origin.

In the first quarter of the 20th century the piece left the country for the United States. It was acquired by siblings Bernice McIlhenny Wintersteen and Henry P. Maclhenny, who had a close relationship with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Both decided to donate this bracket in 1946 to the museum in honor of their parents, John D. MClhenny and Frances Galbraith Plumer, benefactors of the institution.

Description

Although some parts of the piece are deteriorated, a meticulous carving can be observed. It has two rows of acanthus leaves and intertwined vegetation on the lower part.

Locations

• XIII^th c.

  region

  Possible origin from Castile and Leon, Castilla y León (Spain)

• ca. 1945 - ca. 1946

  private collection

  Bernice McIlhenny Wintersteen and Henry P. Maclhenny, Filadelfia (United States) *

• ca. 1946 - present

  museum

  Philadelphia Museum of Art, Filadelfia (United States)