A heraldic lion supporting a shield
British (English) School
Category
Art / Sculpture
Date
c. 1620 - 1700
Materials
Oak
Measurements
1060 mm (H); 349 mm (W); 330 mm (D)
Order this imageCollection
Kingston Lacy Estate, Dorset
NT 1254477.2
Summary
Sculpture, oak wood; a heraldic lion; British; c. 1620-1700. A seated heraldic lion supporting a shield with a fleur-de-lys, part of the coat-of-arms of the Bankes family. One of a pair of seated heraldic lions, this one made from oak wood, whilst the other is a copy in plaster.
Full description
A figure of a lion made from oak wood, depicted in the position known in heraldry as "sejant-rampant", seated on its haunches, with its body erect and both forepaws raised. Its head is turned to its left whilst in its paws the lion holds an irregular-shaped shield emblazoned with a fleur-de-lys, part of the coat-of-arms of the Bankes family. Mounted on a rectangular plinth. Remains of an integral support rises from the back of the sculpture. Now paired with a cruder copy (NT 1254477.1), made from plaster. Lions have historically played an important role in heraldry, in which they are often used to support coats-of-arms. This lion supports a shield with a fleur-de-lys, a stylised floral motif best-known as forming a key element in French royal heraldry. However, silver fleur-de-lys were also an important element in the device on the shield from the Bankes family coat-of-arms, granted in 1613 (see NT 1251333), described as ‘sable, a cross engrailed ermine between four fleur-de-lys argent'. The elaborate auricular shape of the shield held by the lion suggests a relatively early dating of the sculpture, perhaps to the decades after 1613, when Sir John Bankes (1589-1644) had been granted his arms. It was clearly used as the model for the rather cruder copy in plaster made up as a pair for it, whilst it was also presumably the source for the four stone heraldic lions that surmount the loggia on the east front of Kingston Lacy house, added c. 1835-41 by the architect Charles Barry (1795-1860) as part of the extensive works to the house commissioned by William John Bankes. Jeremy Warren June 2023
Provenance
Bequeathed by (Henry John) Ralph Bankes (1902-1981), together with the estates of Corfe Castle and Kingston Lacy and its entire contents
Makers and roles
British (English) School, carver Unknown, sculptor