The Fabric Accounts of Exeter Cathedral as a Record of Medieval Sculptural Practice

This essay capitalizes on the recent publication of the early Exeter Cathedral fabric accounts to query the mechanics of sculptural practice at this particularly well-documented site. Although the modern semantic distinction between "mason" and "sculptor" is not reflected in the Exeter building records, accounting practices there suggest that ornamental carving was accorded a privileged status. Moreover, individual carvers enjoyed flexible contractual obligations extending to the "sub-contracting" of decorative stone work off site. This specific practice illuminates the organization of the medieval cathedral workshop at Exeter, at the same time it raises questions about the task of establishing the building's chronology.