060926. Thirty-six Views of Bath Abbey, 1/46. My series tribute to Hokusai’s Fugaku Sanju Rokkei

October 17, 2006 at 10:43 AM | Posted in Angels, Architecture, Bath, Cathedrals and churches, Crowns, Fugaku Sanju Rokkei, Hokusai, Hot air balloons, kite, Ladders, Olive Trees, Saints, Sculpture, Tabernacles, Trees | 5 Comments

This is Bath Abbey’s west facade. Here angels climb and descend a Jacob’s Ladder to Heaven. There are other symbols on the facade, which all come from Bishop King’s original dream in 1499 when he was inspired to knock down the immense Norman Cathedral and construct on the site of its nave a smaller Tudor Abbey Church.

 

 

 

 

Apart from the balloon / kite, tabernacle (decorated buttress pinacle) / scaffolding , and Jacob’s Ladder / scaffolding ladder justaposition, look at the shadowed lower left hand corner of the abbey with the carving of the Olive Tree ringed in a crown. Below the top three pagoda tiles and above the crown of the roof pitch, observe that same tree shape!