Ornamental corbel

Brackets like this one supported the overhanging upper storeys of London's timber-framed houses. Each floor was larger than the one below and the sections that jutted out over the street were called jetties. The rooms at the top were often so close to the house across the street that people could shake hands with their neighbours. More light and space was won for rooms upstairs, but the streets were darkened for pedestrians. This bracket is one of four from Albert House, Garratt Lane in Wandsworth. Its lower half resembles an animal with cloven hooves, while its upper half is carved into the shape of a human with a beard, moustache and breasts. Hermaphrodite figures, which possess both masculine and feminine physical traits, were common in classical art.