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The Crucifixion with the Virgin, St John and two Angels: M.34-1904

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

The Crucifixion with the Virgin, St John and two Angels

Maker(s)

Workshop: uncertain

Entities

Categories

Description

Copper plaque, champlevé, enamelled, engraved, and gilt, the figures with applied chased heads in relief

Copper plaque, champlevé, and enamelled in three shades of blue, green, yellow, and red, engraved, and gilt. The relief figure of Christ, and the heads of the Virgin and St John are repoussé and applied. The plaque is rectangular and very slightly convex, with one attachment hole in each corner and two on each side.

Notes

History note: Purchased in Milan by Frank McClean

Legal notes

Frank McClean Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 23 cm
Width: 10.2 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Limoges ⪼ Haute Vienne ⪼ France

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1904) by McClean, Frank

Dating

13th Century
Medieval
Circa 1200 CE - 1300 CE

Note

This plaque belongs to a stylistic group made at Limoges over a period of some twenty years about 1200. It once formed the central panel of a book cover, possibly an evangelistary. The figure of Christ and the heads of the Virgin Mary, St John and the two witnessing angels overhead are embossed and chased in low relief and attached to the slightly convex surface of the plaque by studs. At top centre, the nimbed hand of God descends from a cloud over the titulus, IHS/XPS, an abbreviation for Jesus Christ in Greek, and the skull of Adam is shown on the Cross below Christ's feet. This refers to the legend that the Cross was erected on the burial place of Adam, also the belief that through the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, humankind might be redeemed from sin, and gain eternal life. Through this iconography the book cover proclaimed the message of the text within, and provided a focus for meditation on the transitry nature of earthly life.

School or Style

Romanesque
Medieval

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamel ( dark blue, pale blue, green, yellow, and red) gold
Plaque composed of copper

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: IHS/XPS
  • Location: On label on upper part of Cross
  • Method of creation: In gold reserved in blue champlevé enamel ground
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.34-1904
Primary reference Number: 131084
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 6 March 2023 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "The Crucifixion with the Virgin, St John and two Angels" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/131084 Accessed: 2024-11-02 16:25:32

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/131084 |title=The Crucifixion with the Virgin, St John and two Angels |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-02 16:25:32|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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