The grotesque in church art . COMPOUND FORMS. 167. I BIS-HEADED FIGURE FROM ANUNKNOWN CHURCH. Another curious bird combination is in a carving in the Architectural Museum, Tufton Street, London, from an un-known church. This is a semi-human figure, whose upper part is skilfully draped. The head, bent towards the ground, is that of a bird of the ibis species, and it is probable that we have here a relic of the Egyptian Mercury Thoth, who was incarnated as an ibis. Thoth is called the God of the Heart (the conscience), and the ibis was said to be sacred to him because when sleeping it assumes th
The grotesque in church art . COMPOUND FORMS. 167. I BIS-HEADED FIGURE FROM ANUNKNOWN CHURCH. Another curious bird combination is in a carving in the Architectural Museum, Tufton Street, London, from an un-known church. This is a semi-human figure, whose upper part is skilfully draped. The head, bent towards the ground, is that of a bird of the ibis species, and it is probable that we have here a relic of the Egyptian Mercury Thoth, who was incarnated as an ibis. Thoth is called the God of the Heart (the conscience), and the ibis was said to be sacred to him because when sleeping it assumes the shape of a heart. An unusual compound is that of a swan with the aoreeable head of a young woman,in St. Georges Chapel,Windsor. This may beone of the swan-sisters inthe old story of the Knightof the Swan. The initial letter of thissection is a fine grotesquerendering of the Egyptiangoddess Athor, Athyr, orHet-her (meaning the dwell-ing of God.) She was the daughter of the sun, and bore in images the suns disc. Probably through a lapse into igno
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjec, booksubjectchristianartandsymbolism
