Bucrania where you least expect them

By adamg on Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:30pm

Bucranium at 45 Devonshire St. in downtown Boston

Architects of late 19th-century and early 20th-century buildings in downtown Boston loved their classical symbols, from caduceuses to cornucopia to lamassuses. Most, though, are no more than a couple stories high - what's the point of that intricate work that nobody can see? The top couple of floors at 45 Devonshire, at the corner of State, though, really only reward people who look way up - with various symbols including a number of bucrania, or garlanded ox skulls (which you can also see on the rear of the Walgreens where the Boston Five used to be in Downtown Crossing and, a bit farther afield, the municipal building in Hyde Park).

Neighborhoods:

Downtown

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Comments

One of the buildings on

By Matt_R on Wed, 10/14/2015 - 9:46pm.

One of the buildings on Devonshire St, I think it might be the McCormack Building was built before the Second World War and so it has fasces, National Recover Administration eagles and I think swastikas. It's somewhat shocking to see them all.

14 Beacon St (Congregational House)

By Congregationalist on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 8:20am.

14 Beacon St (Congregational House) has some really cool friezes. It's located just adjacent (towards the state house) from the Athenaeum.

Also across the street

By anon on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 12:43pm.

Directly across the street from 14 Beacon up above the convenience store and Zen restaurant there are some incredible carved heads.

I just noticed the ones on

By bibliotequetressnotloggedin... on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 8:22am.

I just noticed the ones on School Street last week! The old Boston Five Cent bank-- I wondered if the bucrania were chosen because of the buffalo nickle.

I've said it before; spend

By Patricia on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 10:46am.

I've said it before; spend some time walking around and look up at the buildings to see some of these old style facades. There's a lot of history in some of these buildings and I just love some of the old designs and the little clues of what once was.

I was always intrigued by these granite steps that led to nowhere (a wall I think) by Cafe Maliave. Only to find out later they were the steps leading to the old Governors Mansion that had long since been torn down or redesigned.

Bucrania.

By bev on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 4:36pm.

Forever indebted to Mr. Adam and U-hub for having posted on this design element years ago. You've made me sound a little smarter than I look when folks ask about the cow skull reliefs on the exterior of the S'ville Public Library Main Branch bldg.