Over Our Heads: The Medieval Roof Bosses of St Mary Redcliffe

The rib vaulted ceiling of St Mary Redcliffe features over 1200 roof bosses: intricate works of medieval art that are among the glories of the church.

Roof booses are decoratively carved keystones that lock the rib-vaulted ceiling of the church in place. These astonishing works in stone have practical, aesthetic, and symbolic significance. Each boss fulfils an important structural function, while contributing towards the visual magnificence of the church vault: the boss designs providing a window into the beauty and strangeness of the Middle Ages.

The bosses are, collectively, a showcase of medieval craftsmanship; the intricately realised designs acting as a lasting testament to the imagination and skill of the masons who built and decorated the church.

In this talk, which accompanies the exhibition Look Up! Look Up!: Redcliffe's Medieval Bosses, art historian and PhD candidate at Warwick University, Bryony Wilde will re-evaluating Redcliffe's bosses, and discussing these hidden art works in the context of contemporary discourse and art historical practice.