Abacus - 12th/13th century. With a mythical animal on each side - France

A stone abacus from the 12th / 13th century. With a mythical animal on each side. France.

In architecture, an abacus (from the Greek abax, slab; or French abaque, tailloir; plural abacuses or abaci) is a flat slab forming the uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, above the bell. Its chief function is to provide a large supporting surface, tending to be wider than the capital, as an abutment to receive the weight of the arch or the architrave above.