Medieval Decorative Ironwork

This book traces the development of the designs and techniques used in the production of decorative ironwork in England during the period 1050 to 1500. Found mostly on church doors, chests and tombs, in the form of hinges, handles, knockers or grilles, the ironwork of this period is a virtually unexplored aspect of medieval art, and has proved to be a rich source of evidence for design and craft skills. This is the first comprehensive national record of this little-studied artistic medium.

The discussion of ironworking techniques, and the symbolic meaning of designs, will be of interest to students of medieval history, architecture and the history of art, while the catalogue provides a rich source of information for archivists and church enthusiasts. Architects, conservators, designers and craftsmen will find the illustrations and discussion of techniques of great practical use and a valuable source for new designs.

Jane Geddes FSA read History at New Hall, Cambridge. Her abiding interest in medieval ironwork dates back to her MA studies in Romanesque Art at the Courtauld Institute of the University of London. She was awarded a PhD by the Courtauld for her thesis on English decorative ironwork, which forms the background to the present work.

Jane Geddes worked as an Inspector of Ancient Monuments for English Heritage for six years, and in 1989 was appointed to a lectureship in architecture and medieval art at Aberdeen University, a position she still holds.

From 1990 to 1993 she compiled The Inventory of Scottish Church Heritage, for the Council for Scottish Archaeology, the first comprehensive list of the 10,000 churches officially recorded in Scotland. She is now working on a history of the architecture and furnishings of King’s College Chapel, Aberdeen, in their liturgical context.

• Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London, No. 59
• ISBN 0 85431 273 0
• 260mm x 200mm 428pp 600 illustrations (black and white photographs and line drawings) 6 maps 19 tables
• £75 hardback Published September 1999
• Available from Oxbow Books

Jacket illustration: detail taken from the Gilebertus door at St George’s Chapel, Windsor (by permission of the Dean and Canons of Windsor).