A Large Medieval Oak Corbel With Bearded Harpy, First Half Of The 16th Century

This is an oak corbel salvaged from a house in Lillewith a variation on the theme of the Harpy.

n Greek and Roman mythology, theharpy is usually a female fantasy creature with a bird's body, a human head,wings and claws. Not always with equally positive qualities. In the MiddleAges, women did nothing good. However, in bestiaries there are images ofharpies that are not so clearly feminine, bearded harpies. Is it a harpy man orthe bestial nature of this female creature. In the Middle Ages, great pleasurewas taken in experimenting.

For entertainment and education, plants, animals,people and gender were treated freely. The harpy eagle does not have bird clawsbut hooves captured in a block of wood. There also seems to be a band aroundthe waist. He or she seems trapped. This raven was not carved by a mastersculptor associated with the Burgundian court. It was a minor master, acarpenter who worked from prints or from what he had seen somewhere. This ishow new combinations are created unconsciously.

The corbel was created between 1525-1550.
Dimensions: 45x25x13 cm.