The set of bosses found in the Chantry Chapel(where the altar is situated), which was built under the auspises of Bishop Goldwell in the late C15th, are a sculptured hymn of praise to the Virgin and local saints. The large central carving shows the coronation of the Virgin, with God seated on her left. The whole is surrounded by a choir of angels in golden robes. The Virgin has a red dress and blue-lined cloak.
The inner circle of eight bosses shows St Edmund in red and green, St Margaret in red with a red dragon, St Edward in black and gold, and St Katherine in gold, blue and black. These saints alternate with carvings from the life of Christ. The Annunciation boss shows Gabriel in red and gold, a white dove and the Virgin in blue and gold. The Nativity of Christ is represented by Mary with baby Jesus on her knee, Joseph on her right, a choir of angels and the ox and ass in their stable. The Resurrection boss shows Christ rising from the tomb surrounded by soldiers in fourteenth-century black and gold armour. The Ascension boss shows a pair of feet vanishing through the clouds above a group of robed disciples.
The next circle of bosses shows twelve apostles and four groups of leaves. One of the latter has a white rose. The apostles are named on scrolls over their heads and each has his traditional symbol. There are two curious mistakes – Matthias is shown with a fish (Simon) instead of a hatchet, and Simon is shown with a boat (Jude). Gilt predominates in their cloaks, with robes of red, green and black. Andrew’s cross, Peter’s keys and Paul’s sword are clear. Thomas’s spear is broken and so is John’s chalice. James is clearly a palmer (a medieval European pilgrim who carried a palm branch as a token of having visited the Holy Land), but Matthew and Bartholomew have lost their symbols (money-bag and knife). James the Less has his fuller’s club, Matthias and Simon have their mistaken symbols and finally Philip has a Tav (Hebrew) cross.
The four groups at the crowns of the wall arches are very interesting. The group over the window has a large head which seems to be that of Richard II, a benefactor of the Great Hospital. The central wall boss has an angel with a bull (Luke) and a king and queen on the two flanking bosses – probably representing Edward I and Eleanor of Castille, also benefactors.
Over the altar is a large head (probably of Queen Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II, whose arms appear in the roof of the former chancel 252 times) and an angel with a lion (Mark) flanked by a wild man or wodewose and a red lion of Norwich.
Over the arch of the nave Henry VI appears, also another angel boss with an eagle (John) flanked by a Saracen with a scimitar and a bearded man with money-bag.
The remaining group has Queen Margaret of Anjou, a broken angel boss (Matthew) and two bosses each of a man with a money-bag. The latter are undoubtedly benefactors but as yet unidentified. One of them also occurs in the men’s ward.
2006 saw the publication of “A Crowning Glory: the vaulted bosses in the chantry chapel of St Helen’s, the Great Hospital, Norwich” Larks Press by Martial Rose. This illustrated guide “…celebrates the spectacular roof bosses …of St. Helen’s church…” It is available to purchase @£6.50 from St. Helen’s Church – see contact page.
