Elswyth

From Elswyth, a collection tracing the interplay of craft, story, and devotion.

In St Michael and All Angels, Sowton, these sculpted figures of the Pomegranate and the Tudor Rose carry both artistry and allegiance – emblems of union and endurance carved into Beer stone more than five centuries ago. I notice how light restores their presence – softening the edges, revealing the hands that shaped them.

Imagine if the British Museum announced an exhibition of 16th-century figures sculpted in Beer stone on a Perpendicular arcade to commemorate the marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon in 1509, featuring both the Pomegrante of Aragon and the Tudor Rose …. here in St Michael and All Angels in Sowton, you can not only see these capital sculptures for free, but also get as close as you want to them, touch them, even sit and watch the light changing on them as the sun goes down.

Words and images © Kate Coldrick – part of the Elswyth collection.