Poppyhead (carving)

Poppyhead is a form of carving of the top of the end of a bench or a choir stall.[1] Its name is unrelated to the poppy flower. It is derived, by way of Old French, from the Latin word puppis, which means the poop or the figurehead of a ship. In its simplest, and its most usual form, it has the appearance of a stylised fleur-de-lys. In some cases, it consists of a much more intricate carving; for example in Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh, some of the poppyheads represent the seven deadly sins.[2]

Poppyhead carved as a Green Man
Poppyhead carved as a stylised fleur-de-lys in St Peter's Church, Neatishead

References
  1. Hubbard, Edward (1986), The Buildings of Wales: Clwyd, London: Penguin, p. 481, ISBN 0-14-071052-3
  2. Clifton-Taylor, Alec (1974), English Parish Churches as Works of Art, London: Batsford, p. 155, ISBN 0-7134-2776-0

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