Valþjófsstaður Door
The Valþjófsstaður door ( is, Valþjófsstaðahurðin ) is a medieval carved church door in the National Museum of Iceland. It depicts a version of the Lion-Knight legend in which a knight slays a dragon, freeing a lion that becomes his loyal companion; this story is similar to the tale of Yvain, the Knight of the Lion and of several Icelandic chivalric sagas. It is the only medieval Icelandic carved door in existence and contains a rare example of runic script carved in wood. The door is in the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque style (fitted to a semi-circular arch) and carved in pine. At the center is an iron ring that is finely inlaid with silver. A rune at the bottom of the upper carved roundel may be the mark of the master-carver. History The door is commonly dated to about 1200 A.D. although old Icelandic documents indicate the original church was built around 1190. A date of no later than 1150 has been argued, based on the style of the knight's dress and equipment, ...
[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]