Shepherds Purse: carving - Gloucester Cathedral misericord

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Misericords were often carved with non-religious scenes of everyday life and occupations, making them a useful source of three-dimensional information for everyday artifacts (although as always not without cautions). This set of three shepherds do not wear pouches of any type, but do wear ordinary belts with hanging tools. The tools are hard to distinguish clearly, but may include small knives, whistles, cyllindrical boxes.

References

Reeves, Compton. 1998. Pleasures and Pastimes in Medieval England. Oxford University Press, New York. p.171