Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England

The Gothic Traceried Arch and Five-Fold Rose Canopy Wood Carving at Winchester Cathedral

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High Medieval / English Decorated Gothic Period (c. 1308, early 14th century)

An intricate architectural wooden panel from Winchester Cathedral's choir stalls meticulously imitating high-style Gothic stone tracery in oak: two cusped pointed arches support a large central spandrel dominated by a perfect five-foiled circular rose medallion with central carved floral boss, the surrounding spandrels packed with scrolling naturalistic foliage and hidden animal figures. The imitation of stone tracery in wood discloses the ornamental rather than structural function of Gothic geometry.