F. Mentényi Klára szerk.: Műemlékvédelmi Szemle 1997/1-2. szám Az Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség tájékoztatója (Budapest, 1997)

MŰHELY - Vida Tivadar-Máthé Géza: Árpád-kori faragványegyüttes feltárása és bemutatása Külsővaton

This provincial find can be dated by the help of paralels of the mid 12th century or the second half of it. Capitals with animal figures in windows can be found in village churches in Zala country (Zalaszentmihályfa, Zalamindszent). Consoles with cow and ram heads were found north of the Danube in Cseklész (Bernolákovo), Boldogfa (Boldog) and Csütörtök (Stvrtok na Ostrove) in 13th century churches. A paralel of twin capitals decorated with floral ornament is in the church of Németlövő (Deutschschützen) built at the end of the 12th century. In late Roman period animal heads were placed on churches in apotropaic sense, their role was defence against bad things. On the twin capitals of Külsővat late Roman foliage ornament is present in a simple, provincial version. On the basis of the remains of the ogival arch the window was reconstructed. The carvings of Külsővat are of higher quality than the usual church decoration of village churches. The builder of the church must have had the means of choosing a master of better quality than the average. Nevertheless no sources concerning this have remained to us in the case of Külsővat. 18th century sources do not give enough information! on the foundation of the church and the origin of the stones of it rebuilt at the 16th century. According to end of 18th century sources the church of Külsővat was built of broad-stones and this makes us suppose a noble donátor. The present form of the church of Külsővat is the result of a rebuilding between 1793-96, when the stones of the old church and the nerby churches (Hímeskő, Pórszalók) were used. In Pórszalók stood the church of the Szalók family first mentioned in 1271. The carvings of Külsővat might have decorated once the church of Pórszalók. The carved stones together with the reconsruction of a coupled window are shown below the left side vault of the gallery.