A Pair of Late Medieval Carved Oak Panels

Probably forming part of a church’s panelling, these “warning symbols” served as a visual reminder to the congregation – who probably could not read – of the sins they may succumb to.

The biting of the tongue shows the sin of “gossip” (known as the eighth deadly sin), and is much mentioned in the bible – Proverbs 18-8, “the words of gossip are like choice morsels, they go down to a man’s inner-most parts”.

Rural England, circa 1500.

Width 6 inches, height 16 inches.

MW102