A MEDIEVAL STYLE IRON MASK OF SHAME - SO CALLED SCOLD'S BIRDLE

Description:

probably late 19th century
36 x 45 x 25 cm
Iron, with hinge on the top to open. Signs of age.
Private collection, Belgium
In the Middle Ages, masks of shame were used for public humiliation. The convicted person, who often had to remain in the pillory for several days, had the heavy frame, usually made of iron, placed on their head. The grotesque appearance of the masks represented a loss of honour.