Gaggle of Gargoyles in the Silk Exchange

We just had to do a photo footprint of the Gothic gargoyles that surround and are within the Silk Exchange Building.

There are 28 gargoyles with somewhat unusual shapes. Most of these figures contain a moral or hidden meaning and they have fantastic, erotic, and satirical features. The sculptures vary from monstrous creatures, fantastic animals or people caught in amusing or grotesque gestures, usually hinting to vices or sins.

They are decorative as much as they are practical as they channel water from the roof (gutters). Until 1535, they were simply called canals. It was only later that they started being called with the name we know them by, gargoyles.

Over the years the gargoyles have sparked a lot of debate as to what they were supposed to symbolize or why such odd characters were put on such an important building.

We had a lot of fun finding the ones that we found. You have to laugh when you see what some of them are doing!Read more