Book excerpt: The development of secular sculpture is largely seen as a post-medieval phenomenon although, as these twelve essays show, it became widespread and increasingly popular in the 13th and 14th centuries. First presented at a conference held at the University of Leicester in 1994, the essays look at the origins and development of secular sculpture across Europe. This was seemingly set within the context of new literary genres, greater emphasis on heraldry and the desire for images of, and pieces commissioned by, those who held secular power and wealth. Essays in German and English with summaries.