Medieval Limestone Figural Corbel. Corbel is carved in high relief with a stylized grotesque face. It would have originally been created as an architectural support element for a church or monastic structure as it embodies the spiritual symbolism and imaginative carvings of the period. Hand-carved from solid limestone, the corbel features a powerful, mask-like visage with closed, almond shaped eyes beneath prominent arched eyebrows, pronounced nose, and pursed lips. The surface bears a time-softened patina and age-appropriate wear consistent with centuries of exposure. Grotesque faces such as this example served symbolic purposes such as warding off evil, illustrating moral allegories, or reminding viewers of the boundary between the earthly and the divine. In today's modern world, this can be mounted on a custom iron stand as a focal point or displayed on a pedestal or bookshelf. l. Its scale makes it highly versatile, large enough to command presence, yet intimate enough for shelf or console display. A soulful and evocative relic of the Middle-Ages, this corbel is ideal for collectors of ecclesiastical art, architectural salvage, and museum quality decorative objects.