Foliate and dog tooth boss c.1200

sketchfab

One of two keystone bosses over the quire stalls of Rochester Cathedral, featuring original painted decoration dating to c.1200 (also see skfb.ly/6TPVv). Scaffold provided access for an investigation by Arte Conservation Ltd during repairs to the vaulting masonry in 2020. The dog tooth mouldings are painted with a thin white limewash and the edges outlined in black and red ochre lines. Two reds are visible including a red lead colour. Spaces between the radial dog tooth are decorated with five black dots. Larger single black spots decorate the spaces between the dog tooth carvings of the transverse ribs. The plainer diagonal ribs feature bands of yellow ochre and black lines. Fragments of a single-line red masonry pattern survive in areas of the vault webbing under the later limewashes. A reconstruction is available at: skfb.ly/6TUKn Bibliography