Fragment of a figure
Probably late 13th or early 14th century
Part of a carved stone figure from the Lady Chapel of Reading Abbey
In its medieval heyday, the church at Reading Abbey would have been richly decorated with paintings and brightly-coloured sculptures.
This fragment of a head retains its red paint and traces of gilding. It was found some 12 to 15ft below the surface in the southern part of the Reading Prison site, suggesting it is probably from the Lady Chapel, which was added to the east end of the church in 1314.
A similar, more complete example of this kind of carving can be found in the church porch of the Holy Trinity church in Ardington. Based on this similarity, and on where the head was found, it is likely that the fragment dates to the late 13th or early 14th century. Post-medieval pottery and bones were found on the same site in June 1970.
Museum object number
See related topic: Reading Abbey