Misericord carvings present a fascinating corpus of medieval art which, in turn, complements our knowledge of life and belief in the late middle ages. Subjects range from the sacred to the profane and from the fantastic to the everyday, seemingly giving equal weight to the scatological and the spiritual alike. Focusing specifically on England - though with cognisance of broader European contexts - this volume offers an analysis of misericords in relation to other cultural artefacts of the period. Through a series of themed "case studies", the book places misericords firmly within the doctrinal and devotional milieu in which they were created and sited, arguing that even the apparently coarse images to be found beneath choir stalls are intimately linked to the devotional life of the medieval English Church. The analysis is complemented by a gazetteer of the most notable instances. Dr Paul Hardwick is Professor in English, Leeds Trinity University College.

Using 163 photographs of images carved on the underside of medieval choir stalls in the churches and cathedrals of England in the thirteenth through sixteenth centuries, this work provides a spirited examination of the social history of ordinary men and women during the late-medieval period. This examination is particularly useful in that the choir stalls have become less accessible to the public in recent years. Misericords have received some scholarly attention, but this work is the first to interpret the carvings as social commentary. They are not examined as decorative embellishments or pieces of church furniture, but rather "read" as intimate glimpses into the thoughts, actions, and beliefs of a segment of the English medieval population. Whatever amused, angered, frightened, or elated the common person is recorded here in these extraordinary records.

This is a long-awaited reissue of Remnant's classic study of misericords (medieval church carvings) in the United Kingdom. First published in 1969, A Catalogue of Misericords in Great Britain provides a complete listing of misericords from parish churches throughout the UK. The book alsofeatures an informative chapter on the iconography of misericords from M. D. Anderson (Lady Trenchard Cox), well known for a number of authoritative books on medieval carving and mythology. The 48 illustrations cover both some of the better known misericords throughout the country, and a number ofcarvings of outstanding interest from smaller churches.

English Gothic Misericord Carvings: History from the Bottom Up by Betsy Chunko-Dominguez explores misericords from the perspective of their several potential viewers. It is the first book to move beyond textual dependence and traditional iconographic analysis when examining this subject.

Block (emerita, City University of New York), following 30 years of patient research, presents an impressive catalogue of 3287 examples of historiated misericords in France. The catalogue documents the carvings under these small mobile choir seats, which are hinged so they can be raised to provide standing space, revealing the carving beneath. Block's introduction describes the history of the misericord and its study. The entries provide details about the church's choir and other choir stalls then discusses the misericord's appearance, provenance, and condition. For churches that still have a substantial number, Block discusses the sculptural program of the misericords. Each misericord is reproduced in a b&w plate of excellent quality. Distributed by the David Brown Book Company. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

This book describes and illustrates one of the most entertaining 'popular' art-forms of the Middle Ages, the misericord - the carved, hinged seat of the choir-stall - found in monastic and parish churches and in cathedrals. These ledges were introduced as a concession to elderly and frail monks who found it difficult to stand through the eight daily Offices. In the course of time they were decorated and eventually extensively carved with narrative scenes. English misericords have their own distinctive style and express a particular sense of humour. Intended as antidotes to the rigorous celibate life of the monks, they depict unrestrained and often bawdy subject-matter and present an explicit and frank expression of the 'unmentionable'. Most of the surviving misericords are from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, though a few earlier ones are to be found; some, in London and Cambridge, are from the sixteenth century and have distinctly Renaissance qualities. Exceptionally fine series are to be found in Exeter, Lincoln, Manchester, Worcester, Ripon and Wells Cathedral, but many excellent examples can be seen in parish churches all over the country. The book is richly illustrated from new, specially taken photographs, with full descriptive captions and a map of the locations of misericords mentioned. It will act as companion to students of medieval art and society, and to all those interested in the 'popular' arts, that can still be seen in our own time.

What do they all mean – the lascivious ape, autophagic dragons, pot-bellied heads, harp-playing asses, arse-kissing priests and somersaulting jongleurs to be found protruding from the edges of medieval buildings and in the margins of illuminated manuscripts? Michael Camille explores that riotous realm of marginal art, so often explained away as mere decoration or zany doodles, where resistance to social constraints flourished. Medieval image-makers focused attention on the underside of society, the excluded and the ejected. Peasants, servants, prostitutes and beggars all found their place, along with knights and clerics, engaged in impudent antics in the margins of prayer-books or, as gargoyles, on the outsides of churches. Camille brings us to an understanding of how marginality functioned in medieval culture and shows us just how scandalous, subversive, and amazing the art of the time could be.