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THE TRIPTYCH

Over the main doorway - see pictures below

 

Above the main South doorway into the church are three niches, which once held small statues.  Although no one today knows which saints were portrayed, it is quite possible that it would have been a ‘rood’ group, of Christ at the centre (the larger of the three niches) and St John and The Blessed Virgin Mary either side.

These statues and niches were vandalised at the time of the Reformation, and axe marks on the stonework, as well as the remaining fragments of the ornamentation, are still easily seen.

 

The Parish has commissioned the restoration of what must have been a very fine entranceway by conserving the old, but putting in the vacant niches some figures of striking new design which epitomise the vitality of the present day Church despite its earlier desecration.

 

The plan was therefore to conserve the remaining details of the niches, so allowing observers to see and understand the destruction of the 1600’s, and place some new figures in contrast to the old..

 

The design of the figures

 

The figures represented are Christ, Salvator Mundi, (Saviour of the world) in the centre panel, giving a blessing; to the right,   St John the Evangelist, holding a copy of the gospels bearing his insignia of an eagle; and to the left, Mary, represented as Star of the Sea (Stella Maris) one of her ancient titles based on an interpretation of her name in Hebrew (Miriam), and used by St Jerome and St Thomas Aquinas to describe the one who guides navigators to port (ie. who points us to Jesus).  The use of this title is very appropriate to a Church in a seaport such as Ipswich, which also has close connections to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace across the sea in Nettuno, Italy, the home of the original figure of Our Lady from Ipswich.

 

The figures are carved in relief on white Ancaster stone panels, about 18” high.  The panels sit inside the conserved niches, allowing a glimpse of the original tracery carving, where it remains.

 

The sculptor

 

The design and execution of the relief panels was carried out by Charles Gurrey, an architectural carver and sculptor based in York.  The sculptor works almost entirely to commission and the greater part of his work has of late been ecclesiastical.  A recent significant commission has been that of the figurework scheme across the West Front of Guildford Cathedral, completed last year.

 

The conservation and installation was completed at the end of May 2006 and the Triptych blessed by the Bishop of Richborough on the 20th July 2006

 

    

 

 

St Mary at the Elms Pilgrimage to Nettuno