St Maurice church at St Aubin, Plumelec

The string-pieces are the only beams that join up the frame to the supporting wall. It seems that the Bretons might have been the only ones to think about sculpting the string-pieces… These ones were made in 1513 by the Nivet brothers. These amazing sculptures in high-relief are for many reasons exceptional:

• the representations in corners, usually with angels or saints, are here with dragons and devilish beasts in charge of catching men with bad behavior,
• their size is surprising (more than twice the usual size),
• the Passion of the Christ is represented on the choir's side, on the altar's right,
• the symbols are on the other side : the Passion's instruments, the vine, Eucharist's symbol...

It says "jehan et guillemot nyvet ont ce bois-ci fait" (jehan and guillemot nyvet have this wood made).

The keystones are carved with various motifs: ermines of Brittany, plants and mischievous characters (acrobat, gesticulating madman, leaning heads ...). The stained glass window of Saint-Aubin dates from 1899.

Photo © Fr. Lepennetier

The tie rods are the through-beams that join the sandpits together.

Here, each entry begins with the mouth of a dragon that swallows sinners: a chicken thief, a hunter (who gets bitten in the nose by a boar, devil's henchman...), dancers too profane for the taste of the Church...

They are called engulfed entrails.

Photo © F. Baslé