Seven fragments of a frieze incorporating ten chapters come from an old cancel raised by the abbot Drogon (+1173) in the Saint-Jacques abbey church in Liège. These constituted a continuous quarter-round frieze, which was decorated with various motifs: we can see men in tunics cutting vines, foliage, fruits, palm leafs and various animals, including birds picking grapes, lions or birds being tackled. The frieze rested on monolithic columns, which were supported by bases with double torus that ended with capitals and carved with palm leafs. Many remains of the original polychrome remain, which can be extracted, including traces of gilding. The style of the motifs can be likened to another fragment of a frieze, which probably comes from the former abbey of Saint-Truiden (formerly of the Govaerts collection) and, very possibly from the chapel which housed the relics of Saint Trudon, which was raised by Father Wiric between 1169 and 1172.
Albert Lemeunier
