Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: braid

The construction of the "Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul" started around 1150. The basilica-style church has the classical layout of a latin cross and is known for the carvings. Size and the quality of some of them are really breathtaking. There are different artistic styles here. I seems like four master-carvers were given a chance, to show their talents and so they used this as a showcase. Another corbel - depicting the face of a nicely combed woman. The face is framed by two small braids. She is obviously very suprised and amused (maybe meeting "Piggy" - seen of the last photo last photo - high up there) and so has raised her eyebrows and shows a small smile. If she would have a hand - she would probably take the cobweb off her face. Sorry for the bad quality of the photo..

Maillezais, a small town with a population of less than 1000, is known for it´s old monastery, founded in the very swampy "Marais Poitevin" in 989. It developed well, when the land around got reclaimed. Later even was a bishop´s see was here. Only some ruins are left of the former Gothic cathedral, as it was burned down by Huguenots during the Wars of Religion and sold as a quarry to local entrepreneurs after the French Revolution. Saint Nicolas, the parish church had a better fate, though vandalized and severely damaged during the Wars of Religion as well, it did not get ruined like the cathedral. The western facade is built in the "style saintonge" with the flanking blind arches. There are nice capitals at the facade. A weathered mermaid with two flippers and four long braids under a frieze of partridges. The seashore was very near to Maillezais within the 12th century. So the carvers will have had first hand experiences with mermaids.