Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Scott #1361
Michel #1835?
Scott only says it's: "Angel, Wood, Moutier-D'Ahun"
As best as I can determine from Google, what was once a Benedictine abbey and became a church, is decorated with ornate 17th Century wood carvings by Simon Bauer and his journeymen. One source says "Angels’ faces, fantasy characters and abundant fruit decorate the edifice bringing together in the same building Gothic, Roman and Baroque art."
So now for the question: I have a mermaid topical collection. That sure looks like a mermaidish creature on top of grape vines. The head and tail look mermaid with the midsection more like a Harpy. Does anyone know what this wood carving is supposed to depict?
Lars
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Not sure what it is meant to represent but the Abbaye is full of baroque wood carvings. Here is a page that has a better image of your stamp.
http://www.detoursenfrance.fr/patrimoine/patrimoine-rural/moutier-dahun-un-des-plus-beaux-villages-du-limousin-5021
The next is to a second stamp commemorating the church.
https://www.wikitimbres.fr/timbres/3372/1998-moutier-dahun-creuse
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Here is an enlargement of the carving,
Looks like the female torso is being swallowed unless she (he) has at least one claw (right arm)
Edit, maybe it is meant to represent the serpent in the Garden of Eden?
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Thanks for the better image!
"Looks like the female torso is being swallowed unless she (he) has at least one claw (right arm)"
I don't think that's it. It looks like a cross between a harpy and mermaid. A harpy is upper human and lower bird (hence the claws and wings). A mermaid is upper human and lower tail. Sometime it has scales and looks like a fish tail, but sometimes it's more like dolphin (since it is a mammal).
The progression from harpy to mermaid reminds me of the Warsaw Coat of Arms. That started as a harpy an morphed into a mermaid. Here we have all three together, it appears.
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http://blogs.bl.uk/european/2015/10/the-tale-of-m%C3%A9lusine.html
Could this be your mythical figure. A kind of syren or mermaid termed melusine. Melusina it is said was a fairy condemned by some spell to become, on Saturdays only, half woman and half serpent.
Fun innit.
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Ahun is about 120k ESE of Poitiers, so folklore would probably be around a common theme.
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Not sure about the 1/2 woman, 1/2 serpent. Her shoulder and paw appear to be leonine. And wings of some kind of bird?
or Sphinx?
Very interesting!
Wine
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Sheepshanks,
I consider Melusina a mermaid, as depicted in Luxembourg 965:
There are also plentiful postmarks like this:
The wood carving reminds me of the early Warsaw Coat of arms (circa 1659):
That almost looks human/bird/serpent with webbed feet. The 17th Century Coat of Arms depicted on Poland 1334 has the talons instead of webbed feet:
Of course the modern Warsaw Coat of Arms is definitely mermaid:
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You know what, sheepshanks, it looks like Melusine, like the Warsaw Coat of Arms, has morphed since the 17th century. I wonder if they are at all related. But Melusine didn't sprout wings until she flew away. Interesting.
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Here we have a stamp from France issued in 1973.
Scott #1361
Michel #1835?
Scott only says it's: "Angel, Wood, Moutier-D'Ahun"
As best as I can determine from Google, what was once a Benedictine abbey and became a church, is decorated with ornate 17th Century wood carvings by Simon Bauer and his journeymen. One source says "Angels’ faces, fantasy characters and abundant fruit decorate the edifice bringing together in the same building Gothic, Roman and Baroque art."
So now for the question: I have a mermaid topical collection. That sure looks like a mermaidish creature on top of grape vines. The head and tail look mermaid with the midsection more like a Harpy. Does anyone know what this wood carving is supposed to depict?
Lars
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re: What is the subject of this stamp?
Not sure what it is meant to represent but the Abbaye is full of baroque wood carvings. Here is a page that has a better image of your stamp.
http://www.detoursenfrance.fr/patrimoine/patrimoine-rural/moutier-dahun-un-des-plus-beaux-villages-du-limousin-5021
The next is to a second stamp commemorating the church.
https://www.wikitimbres.fr/timbres/3372/1998-moutier-dahun-creuse
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this post
re: What is the subject of this stamp?
Here is an enlargement of the carving,
Looks like the female torso is being swallowed unless she (he) has at least one claw (right arm)
Edit, maybe it is meant to represent the serpent in the Garden of Eden?
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re: What is the subject of this stamp?
Thanks for the better image!
"Looks like the female torso is being swallowed unless she (he) has at least one claw (right arm)"
I don't think that's it. It looks like a cross between a harpy and mermaid. A harpy is upper human and lower bird (hence the claws and wings). A mermaid is upper human and lower tail. Sometime it has scales and looks like a fish tail, but sometimes it's more like dolphin (since it is a mammal).
The progression from harpy to mermaid reminds me of the Warsaw Coat of Arms. That started as a harpy an morphed into a mermaid. Here we have all three together, it appears.
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this post
re: What is the subject of this stamp?
http://blogs.bl.uk/european/2015/10/the-tale-of-m%C3%A9lusine.html
Could this be your mythical figure. A kind of syren or mermaid termed melusine. Melusina it is said was a fairy condemned by some spell to become, on Saturdays only, half woman and half serpent.
Fun innit.
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this post
re: What is the subject of this stamp?
Ahun is about 120k ESE of Poitiers, so folklore would probably be around a common theme.
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this post
re: What is the subject of this stamp?
Not sure about the 1/2 woman, 1/2 serpent. Her shoulder and paw appear to be leonine. And wings of some kind of bird?
or Sphinx?
Very interesting!
Wine
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this post
re: What is the subject of this stamp?
Sheepshanks,
I consider Melusina a mermaid, as depicted in Luxembourg 965:
There are also plentiful postmarks like this:
The wood carving reminds me of the early Warsaw Coat of arms (circa 1659):
That almost looks human/bird/serpent with webbed feet. The 17th Century Coat of Arms depicted on Poland 1334 has the talons instead of webbed feet:
Of course the modern Warsaw Coat of Arms is definitely mermaid:
Login to Like
this post
re: What is the subject of this stamp?
You know what, sheepshanks, it looks like Melusine, like the Warsaw Coat of Arms, has morphed since the 17th century. I wonder if they are at all related. But Melusine didn't sprout wings until she flew away. Interesting.
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this post