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 Church of San Julián and Santa Basilisa, in Rebolledo de la Torre (Burgos) or in the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos (Burgos). The bracket represents two birds pecking at something, perhaps fruit or stems, but we cannot say for sure. If we pay attention to the theme, it is reminiscent of the church of San Juan Bautista in Orejana (Segovia) or San Miguel in Fuentidueña (Segovia). This corbel became part of the Philadelphia Museum along with two others. All of them seem to come from the same architectural ensemble, therefore, it was somewhere in the current Castilla y León. However, we do not have more data that 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 corbel in 1946 to the museum in honor of their parents, John D. MClhenny and Frances Galbraith Plumer, benefactors of the institution.

Description

Animals have been present in the medieval world since the earliest times. The use of beasts as a decorative element in architecture responded to multiple factors; it could be symbolic or strictly decorative (Morales, 1996). Birds, together with mammals, have been the most represented animals. They generally appeared facing each other, opposing each other, with their necks crossed, attacking other animals or pecking fruits and branches, as in this case.

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)