This capital was part of a group of architectural fragments, found near the church in the town of La Charité-sur-Loire in Burgundy. It represents stylized animals with cat-like ears, perhaps lions, because of the references to this beast in the Bible. The lion was the symbol of the House of Judah, from which King David was descended. It should be noted, however, that the sculptor of this capital had probably never seen a real lion. The one on the right seems to have a mane, and would therefore be a male, and the one on the left is lacking one, and is therefore a female. The half-moon markings on their skins, however, do not resemble the fur of a lion.
