Misericord

Misericord from the Charterhouse of Florence (Tuscany, Italy), depicting a mascaron
With the seat lifted (as at left), the misericord provides a ledge to support the user

A misericord (sometimes named mercy seat, like the biblical object) is a small wooden structure formed on the underside of a folding seat in a church which, when the seat is folded up, is intended to act as a shelf to support a person in a partially standing position during long periods of prayer.[1]

  1. ^ "Inside the church: What do you need to know?". BBC iWonder. BBC. Retrieved 2016-07-18.