NAVIGATION

The jester or fool is a representative figure of humanity fought over alternately by good and evil characters as expressed in the duality of this carving. Fools and jesters were a common feature at most princely and royal courts for hundreds of years. The Norman Kings and Lords had fools who were expected to advise them on important decisions, and who were also expected to defend their masters on the battlefield. Charles I had a famous court jester called Mukle John, as did Anne of Denmark whose fool was called Tom Derry.