Tendril ornament and animal heads

This capital has a particularly original composition: a symmetrical network of paired tendrils form large heart-shaped compartments, each framing two counterpointed and interlaced palmettes. From the short horizontal clasps that hold the paired tendrils together other smaller tendrils sprout; they in turn bear small curling terminals or palmettes. In the corners animal heads with clearly visible fangs swallow the upper tendrils of the heart-shaped compartments. A similar head with projecting tongue is placed over the console block. Apparently, this is an antithesis between flora and fauna.
Much the same concept characterizes the decoration of the bevelled impost block. Here dragon-like quadrupeds with bird-heads, -necks and –claws converge on the centre of the frieze. The ends of their tails morph into tendrils. On the narrower sides of the capital they peck a bird with their pointed beaks; the bird in turn pecks one of its own feet with its beak. On the broader sides the dragons bite the hind parts of two lions standing opposite to each other.
Both the impost block and the capital show variations of plant motifs or animals in combat. They form a coherent stylistic group with a series of other capitals in the cloister (e.g. E16MS34, E17MS35 or E10MS28 and E11MS29, just to cite the nearest).

Dragon quadruped palmettes bird heart