Southwark Cathedral, cadaver effigy

3D Model

Southwark houses a fine cadaver, or transi, effigy, an example of a late medieval monumental trend which contrasted the vanity of earthly glory with the inevitability of death. Commonly these would comprise a conventional effigial tomb, the chest surmounted by the figure of the deceased in their robes of office or rank: a figure of worldly splendour. Below this, however, within the tombchest, viewable through an arcade or grill, was a second effigy, but this one depicting the true horror of the decaying corpse within the tomb. Usually this showed the deceased in their shroud, or winding sheet, knotted at head and foot, but open to expose the withered corpse within. At Southwark only the cadaver effigy survives: an example of an intact cadaver tomb can be seen at Arundel. 3D model generated with photogrammetry software 3DF Zephyr v7.007 processing 373 images