Friday 18 September 2009

Supreme Court, Parliament Square SW1


The window keystone figures on the back of the former Middlesex Guildhall have a modern slant, though the costumes are still medieval.

The pair to the left are a very early (and in those days highly unlikely) man-and-wife engineer couple. She fiddles with a sector gear and pinion, and he holds a pair of dividers and a cog.

In the middle is the angel of navigation, a star on her brow. She holds an armillary sphere.

The next figure is Harry Potter holding a snitch NO, only kidding, he is a telecomms engineer with a winged globe distributing signals round the earth as lightning bolts.

To the right is another inexplicable figure holding a tiny dancing beardie in a loin cloth. Possibly Mother taking Son to Westminster School of the Performing Arts because he's so talented he gets bullied at the crammer he was at.

2 comments:

Exit, Pursued by a Bear said...

I think you'll find that last is St. Christopher, who is usually depicted carrying the Christ Child. Quite why he's so jolly I've no idea.

Chris Partridge said...

I did wonder if it was St Christopher, but he is usually portrayed carrying the Christ child on his back. The little figure is not a child, and it isn't even entirely clear that the big figure is a man - is there is bulge in the chest region there?