Romanesque capital with interlace decoration. Franconia, 12th century.

Small column capital in pink sandstone characteristic of the Main basin. Carved on all sides, it probably comes from a cloister or an arcade. The basket, an inverted truncated cone, flares out to meet an integrated rectangular abacus. The decoration is entirely governed by a composition of ribbon interlace of great geometric rigor. This capital stands out for its use of tripartite ribbons, each band divided by two longitudinal incisions creating three parallel cords. In the lower corners of the basket, the ribbons are joined by transverse bindings. This ornamental grammar, typical of Imperial art under the Hohenstaufen, points to the workshops of Würzburg in the second half of the 12th century, around 1150–1170.

The use of pink sandstone (Main Bundsandstein) is common in the Würzburg region, as is the motif of interlaced ribbons forming heart- or lyre-shaped loops—an important marker of Franconian sculpture from the mid and later 12th century. In this area one observes a persistence of influences from Ottonian metalwork and Carolingian interlace. The binding of the ribbons at the corners relates this capital to a similarly sized pink sandstone capital (inv. H 17769) preserved at the Museum für Franken in Würzburg, from the Benedictine provostry of Holzkirchen near Würzburg, and dated to the late 12th century.
Full file available on request.

References consulted:
· Hotz, Walter, Meister Kilian. Der Schöpfer der Würzburger Domsulpturen, Munich/Berlin, 1949.
· Kieser, Clemens, Die Klosterkirche Holzkirchen. Ein Beitrag zur romanischen Architektur in Franken, Würzburg, 1992.
· Kutschbach, Doris, Die romanische Beinschneidekunst. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des Kunsthandwerks im 11. und 12. Jahrhundert, 1995.