Wyvern corbel, France 16th century

Oak corbel with winged reptile or Wyvern (France, 16th cent.). The Wyvern resembles the European Dragon yet it has only two feet which makes it look more like a birdlike creature (hence the feet are often depicted as birdclaws). If you listen carefully, the Wyvern makes a whistling sound but don't come too close: it can spit fire! The word occurs from the 13th century onwards and is derived from the old French word 'wivre', that comes from the Latin 'vipera' or snake (cf. viper). Wyverns are very popular in heraldry, in some computergames (World of Warcraft...) and there is of course the Vauxhall Wyvern. Dimensions: height 29 x width (top) 22 x depth (top) 14cm.