Curious Carvings

Back in the days in October when we could go out and about we came across a very curiously carved house, on the market place in Bossée. Local friends who have seen the images can't tell us anything about it. There appears to be nothing on the internet. And yet these carvings clearly mean something.

The curiously carved house in Bossée.

 

The sculptor is a folk artist, recording events and places in his life (I imagine it is a he...). In the centre there is the profile of a soldier emblazoned with the dates of the First World War. 

A First World War soldier.

 

Then there is a frieze over one of the windows. It shows, as far as I can tell, from left to right, the village church (just across the road); the house itself (pre soldier); then there is a keystone decorated with a lion and fruit, and another house; and on the right, an man in the forest with his dog. The trees remind me of trees in medieval church wall paintings. On the house, perching on the loft pulley arm, is a crow like bird. Finally, the keystones of the first floor window lintels are decoratively carved, with fruit and a ram's head.

Frieze over one of the windows.

We would love to know the story behind these carvings. Their creation must be just within living memory for someone in the area. I can't believe their history is truly lost, and it would be sad if it was.

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