Featured Thoughts on this carved stone?

Found this stone at a sale over the weekend. It was the second three day sale of a lifetime collection. There will be a third as they unbox more things. As per usual I was there in the final hour of the three day sale. This piece was laying on a table in the back where all the “crap” type things were. My immediate thought on picking it up was that it looked medieval ish. Maybe not specifically medieval in terms of exact years but many centuries old and from somewhere in the UK area maybe. I could be totally off base. That was just the thought that struck me first. It could have been made in Timbuktu and airmailed in last week for all I know. It’s smooth though and I’d bet on it being old, just don’t know how old. It’s about a foot long. The guy had a great eye for acquiring interesting things with some value irregardless of their condition. I don’t think he was spending great sums but if he found a good thing cheap he would buy it, that was my impression. Anywho I got this for $5 or less, I don’t recall exactly. Would love to know what others see here? Looks like a dog to me but I guess could be a sheep or something else. What say y’all?

 

I checked the pictures before reading your post. It immediately struck me as a dog. I thought the "rays" could have been a wagon wheel, but don't quite think so. Then I thought maybe it was to represent sound radiating from the dog barking. But wouldn't they carve the mouth open? Really a mystery piece to me.

 

I think it's a lamb. The Lamb of God, to be precise.

 

Oh yeah - guess that would explain the hap hazard looking cross.

 

That's what I see too. Now, why St. Andrew's cross, aka a saltire?

 

That's what fit? They were probably working with a found piece of slate. It's quite attractive. Easy resale if that's the idea.

 

You don't think it's part of a tombstone?

Debora

 

Doesn't look like it, but it could have been the study for one or an off-cut from one.

 

Kind of looks like a marker for a pet dog's grave.
"X" marks the spot for someone's beloved dog...?

 

Very well could be - it does indeed look like a piece of slate. Plus slate is easy to carve.

 

Thanks for your thoughts guys. It’s what I believe is a quite thick piece of slate. The symbology of the lamb of god and St. Andrews cross seem to fit. It never occurred to that it could be a tombstone piece. That would make sense but also be a creepy thing to have. I hope it’s not that.

Any thoughts on age/origin? Stone is harder than most things to date obviously. It looks far from freshly carved or freshly broken to me though.

 

Here's some of (what seems to be) the same iconography. Religious.

Debora

 

Was it the sale off Blue Hill Ave.? If so, I know a few things about the original owner that might help with your search for answers on this piece.

 

Ohhhh, mysterious !!!!