The Ripon Cross Head

Richard Bailey describes the fragment of a cross -head from Ripon as follows:

”A newly-discovered fragment from Ripon YN gives us another clear example. On the upper arm of a cross-head a seated figure sucks his thumb and gazes at shapes that can plausibly be reassembled into a serpent”

Bailey, R.N., (1980) “Viking Age Sculpture” Collins, London, p.120

The representation of the thumb-sucking figure is similar to that shown on the Malew 120 cross from the Isle of Man.