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Fantastic Facts About York Minster

By , About.com Guide

10 of 10

The Chapter House Ceiling, a 13th Century Engineering Marvel
The Chapter House Ceiling

At the center of York Minster's complex vaulted ceiling is this medallion, elaborately painted and gilded. Circled by red and gilt bosses, it is finished by a beautifully carved, red, blue, white and gilt central boss.

© Ferne Arfin
The Chapter House Celing is a complex wooden vaulted structure. Created at the end of the 13th century, the ceiling is unusual for its period in that it is a free vault, unsupported by a central column. The decorative medallion in the center is hand painted with red, blue, green, ivory and gilt. And the central boss, which would have been barely visible from below, is an elaborate, vividly-painted design featuring a lamb and other Christian symbols.

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