Nicholaus sculptor and the whirl, the medieval Armenian symbol of eternity

What is it about?

A whirl sign, the medieval Armenian symbol of eternity, was identified engraved in the forehead of five bull sculptures dated to the first half of the twelfth century, attributable to the workshop of the Italian sculptor Nicholaus. These carvings, displaying a closely similar geometric whirl engravure, are respectively located in the apse frieze of Koenigslutter Kaiserdom (Lower Saxony), in the pulpit of Sacra di Carpi (Modena), in the “Creation of animals” panel of S. Zeno Basilica (Verona), in the Verona Cathedral porch and in the Ferrara Cathedral narthex. In these monuments, various examples of the geometric whirl metamorphosis into naturalistic foliate whirl are extant, witnessing the Nicholaus atelier’s versatile sculptural performance in conceptualizing everlasting life.

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Photo by Fernando Lavin on Unsplash

Photo by Fernando Lavin on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Close similarity among the whirls engraved in the bull heads of the apse frieze of Koenigslutter Kaiserdom (Lower Saxony), in the pulpit of Sacra di Carpi (Modena), in the “Creation of animals” panel of S. Zeno Basilica (Verona), in the Verona Cathedral porch and in the Ferrara Cathedral narthex strongly supports the concept of their common origin from the Nicholaus atelier. It cannot be excluded that these whirls, beyond other symbolic meanings, also represented a hidden marque d’atelier.

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