Large hexagonal pilaster base - Burgundy 15th century

Large base of molded hexagonal pilaster in burgundy stone carved with vines, grapes and rosettes in high relief.
Burgundy, XV century
30 x 63 x 28 cm
Provenance : collection Demotte

This very large pilaster base decorated in very good conditions with vines leaves and entangled stems, grapes and rosettes was carved during the 15th century in Burgundy as is confirmed by the compact grained limestone, slightly pink, typical of the Burgundy region.

Medieval artists did not claim to be botanists, and therefore did not seek to restore a perfect physiognomy of plants. The inaccuracy of these representations gives free rein to the symbolic value, which accompanies the decorative one.

Therefore, the representation of the vine is not insignificant, if one refers to the biblical association of this plant with the figure of Christ and Eucharist.
The rose, also present at regular intervals in the present carved relief, symbolize the love and charity of the Virgin which is represented in the writings of Saint Bernard as "the rosa sine spina" or the rose without thorns.

In medieval monumental sculpture, the plant decoration is exploited for their ornamental quality of leaves, stems, fruits or flowers: projecting veins, cut out profiles, long rolled stems.

This pilaster base comes from the collection of Georges Joseph Demotte (1877-1923) famous art dealer of Belgian origin specialized in Medieval French sculpture. Central figure of the international art market at the beginning of the 20th century, Demotte founded two sumptuous galleries in Paris and New York where he attracted important private collectors and institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.