Liminal Images BAR S386

The presence of unusual, grotesque and rude carvings on ecclesiastical buildings have been explained in a number of ways, from reflecting the warped sense of humour of the masons, to a purely ornamental or marginal function. However, in this study of medieval sculpture from southern England, Alex Woodcock suggests that imagery should be seen in the same way as the buildings themselves, as liminal spaces mediating between the human, mortal world and the sacred and unknown. In examining vario...