Head

This is one of five heads discovered in the wall of a building in Rue Saint-Croix in St Omer (Pas-de-Calais) in 1923. The monks of St Omer transferred sculpture from the cathedral of Thérouanne when that church was destroyed by Charles V of Spain in 1553. The five heads were probably part of this salvaged group.

This head is likely to have come from the West Portal of the Cathedral, which would have consisted of figures to each side of the door (comprising the five surviving heads), with a Last Judgement tympanum above. The V&A's head may well have represented Christ, and would have been placed on the central column which divided the main doorway.