Rugosa Greenman Wall Plaque With Bronze Effect Features 33850

A wonderful addition to the garden is this frost proof green man garden ornament, named Rugosa by Somerset artist David Lawrence. 

• Rugosa
• Part of the Greenman range from Fiesta Studios, designed by Artist David Lawrence
• Height: 13cm Width: 12.5cm Depth: 2.5cm Weight: 0.2kg
• Comes with a metal hook for hanging, on the back
• A perfect gift idea for the green fingered garden lover in your life. Read more about the Greenmen below

History Of The Green Man:

Throughout the English countryside one can still find many ancient churches from the Medieval Age: from small village parish chapels to vast cathedrals and Abbeys. Built by the master masons of the dark ages they show the style & decoration of the age: the vaulted ceiling, the spire, the tower, the stained glass windows and the gargoyles. Originally an embellished water spout leading from a gutter the gargoyle appears throughout these churches, outside and in: high on ceilings, on the capitals of columns, at the doorways and on bench ends. Over the period they became increasingly elaborate and decorative. 

One of the most puzzling and contradictory of the images is that of the Green man. Seemingly this figure (just a face) emerging from the leaves of made of leaves or even spewing a few leaves from an open mouth is an ancient pagan image, harking back to an age of green magic. Why do they appear so often in christian churches? The green man is said to embody the life force of the rebirth, that after the death of  Water Spring must return and bring with it the sun and growth of plenty. The life of medieval man had a few certainties and comforts: the longing for a good harvest and belief in the power of the Green man may well have been too strong for the arrival of Christianity to suppress. Thus he can be found in almost every church in England.