Bald bearded man with two red bags

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Location
Boss ID
N-A3
Subjects

Mid-sixteenth-century.

A half-figure shown emerging from adjacent stonework. Details such as the buttons along the front of his tunic and his receding hairline give a naturalistic quality. 

It is unclear what the man is holding in his hands, but they may be items related to his trade. St Mary's was particularly popular with the merchant classes of Beverley, with their collective guilds often donating large sums of money to the church. Carvings commemorating these gifts are therefore found throughout the fabric.

This large boss sits above the west door which would have been used for religious processions on days of significance. These would often be organised by the merchant guilds as a well as moral plays to demonstrate their piety. This carving may therefore relate to this kind of movement through the church.  

The ceiling here was repainted in 1865.

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