A pair of monolithic, carved limestone wall capitals with ye - Lot 5

A pair of monolithic, carved limestone wall capitals with yellow veins on the façade, featuring a capital depicting an armed horseman in profile, with details of his armor (lance, spurs, an oval, almond-shaped shield pointing downward, a helmet fitted with a protective nose guard and a neck guard) and the horse’s harness (halter, reins, stirrup, bit), a capital base decorated with interlocking scales, and an abacus adorned with a frieze of pointed lozenges, some centered with a dot. Toulouse region?, last third of the 11th century H. 36.3 and 40 cm - W. 22 and 20.5 cm - D. 33.5 and 38.5 cm (erosion) The presence of horsemen is quite rare in the iconography of Romanesque capitals. Parallels can be drawn between these military depictions and those of the famous Bayeux Tapestry, where we also see comparable armor among the Norman horsemen, including helmets with nose guards, spurs, and almond-shaped shields (fig.). This comparison allows us to date these Romanesque capitals to around 1070/1080