This year I visited one of the Channel Islands where I found a fireplace with a strange inscription. The stone was recovered from the Calvados region to become part of a house that is presently under construction.
Apart from that nothing more is known about it.
The British Museum have drawn a complete blank on what it means, as has the Biblioteque Nationale, Paris. The Victoria and Albert Museum are currently scrutinising it but after several weeks have not offered any information. Several universities have also failed to decipher it.
The inscription is carved on a mantelpiece corbel which is one of five pieces that make up the entire fireplace. The fireplace measures about seven feet across and about six feet high, and is one of two fireplaces that are identical except that the second does not have a carving. Considering the size of it, it must have originally been installed in a very large house.
If anyone has any knowledge that can shed light on what this thing means, OR indeed on the tradition of mantelpiece carving in France, then I will be very interested to hear your thoughts. Speculations too.
Several versions of the inscription can be seen at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16544488@N00/
Look forward to reading what you have to say.
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