Bay window from the Domprobstei(residence of the provost) of the Munster, Rittergasse 18

Description

'Guggehyrli' ('see and hearies') was the name given in Basle to the carved oak bay windows that in the C17 and C18 were installed on numerous house fronts and enriched the city's streets. Travellers' accounts confirm the multitude of 'Guggehyrlis' in Basle, but only three examples have been preserved in the collection of the Historisches Museum. These wooden window extensions, decorated with flower and leaf ornaments, have a peephole on each of their three sides. They enabled the inhabitants inside, principally the female ones, to watch what was going on in the street, while being both concealed and protected from the wind and rain. The 'Guggehyrli' of the house in Rittergasse 18 is representative of an earlier type: in contrast to later examples its peepholes are not glazed and are held in openwork panels resembling grills. A small opening in the floor made it possible to see vertically downwards, but probably was mainly used to throw alms to beggars.