Stone capital with a central coat of arms - France, 14th century

Large stone capital carved in high relief with foliage and a central coat of arms.
France, 14th century
34 x 49 x 47 cm

Provenance : Georges Demotte collection, then André Macé, see the photo taken by Demotte in his workshop around 1930.

The foliage that surrounds the central ecu with the details of the stems, ribs and lobes shows a naturalistic attention characteristic of 14th century ornamental carving.
This large capital with vegetable decoration was made during the 14th century for a castle as it suggests the presence of the central shield, originally painted and gilded.
The work reveals the exceptional virtuosity of Gothic sculptors who tried giving the illusion of the flexibility of stems and leaves. The kale, which here surrounds the central shield, is a plant characteristic of the exuberance of the flora of the Flamboyant Gothic.

This beautiful capital 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.