Bears to Bishops

Norfolk has a lot of medieval churches (659 according to Paul Harley, the author of From Bears to Bishops), and closer inspection reveals a lot of interesting history – some of it fairly obvious, some of it more obscure and well hidden.

We have several books about the churches of Norfolk, but this one, recently added to our range from Mascot Media, is a little different.

In From Bears to Bishops: Norfolk’s Medieval Church Carvings, author and photographer Paul Harley has combined his passion for black and white photography with his love of ancient churches.  Not only has he visited the vast majority of the 659, he has poked around in their darkest corners to find the gems of wood and stone carving illustrated in this book, mostly dating back more than 500 years.

The carvings are carefully lit and the high definition monochrome images bring out the fine detail and textures of the wood and stone. Grouped together in very broad categories, the emphasis here is on the artwork of the carver itself, rather than the history associated with it, and readers are largely left to draw their own conclusions.

As Dr Rebecca Pinner of the University of East Anglia says in her foreword to the book, “we don’t need to know the dates, the provenance or the patronage of these extraordinary works of art in order to enjoy them.  …the presentation of material here does not rely on academic specialism or technical knowledge, but is more generously curated and is accessible to all who, like Paul, have an eye for the curious.”

“This is a beautiful, surprising and important volume that will stand for many years to come as a key point of departure for all who want to discover and explore the artistic gems preserved within the treasure hoards of Norfolk’s medieval churches.”

Here’s a few pages from the book: