Anonymous Schamweisende Approx. 1210 Parish Church Schöngrabern, Austria |
List of sources:
Eibl-Eibesfeldt, Irenäus; Sütterlin, Christa; Weltsprache Kunst,
Zur Natur- und
Kunstgeschichte
bildlicher Kommunikation;
Wien, 2008; S. 473 / Christian Brandstätter Verlag
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At the apse's exterior wall of the Parish Church in Schöngrabern, Lower Austria, there are three-dimensional representations of biblic scenes, which were called "stony bible" in Romanticism[1]. This example shows the virtues and vice or the battle between good and evil. A corbel close to the window depicts a woman pointing to her vulva, whose arms and legs are stretched upwards and thus expose the vulva. It was engraved in the rock by means of indentations and is emphasized by many engravings. However, the opening is missing[2]. The figure's meaning for the people at the time is uncertain, perhaps it was supposed to fend off disasters, prevent people from misbelief, or it was a symbol for the vicious sexual instincts. (Translation: C. Wilhelm)
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