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Description
Winged angel on the south side of NA2, holding a heraldic shield. The figure has thick curling hair, an upturned face and an open, rounded mouth. Its broad gilded wings are outstretched, and both hands clasp the lower sides of the shield.
Heraldry
Blazon; Quarterly, France modern and England: 1 and 4 Azure, three fleurs-de-lis Or; 2 and 3 Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale Or.
Plain English: The medieval Royal Arms of England. The first and fourth quarters are blue with three gold fleurs-de-lis, representing the English Crown’s claim to France; the second and third are red with three gold lions, representing England.
These are the Royal Arms of England, in the form adopted under Henry IV and used throughout the fifteenth century. Much of the original paint and gilding has been lost, but the three fleurs-de-lis remain particularly clear in the upper-left quarter, while several of the English lions remain visible in the red quarters. The arms are entirely consistent with the proposed mid-fifteenth-century date of the ceiling, although they cannot by themselves identify a particular monarch.
Identification: RCHME: Gules, a cross argent ; Buckeridge: Gules, a cross argent.
Condition
The carving is substantially intact, including the head, torso, hands, wings and shield. Considerable gilding survives on the wings, although there are areas of darkening and localised paint loss. The shield retains enough colour and detail for its general design to be recognised, but its surface is extensively worn, flaked and punctured by several small holes.