Diptych, silver gilt and translucent enamel, depicting Scenes from the Life of Christ, English, ca. 1335-1345

Diptych, silver, silver gilt, translucent enamel. Each of the two panels is enamelled on both sides, and both are set in a silver gilt frame. The panels are enamelled in a palette of translucent blue, green, yellow, lime green, grey, purple, brown and in opaque red. The heads and the hands are reserved in the metal.
The scenes on the interior are (left) the Annunciation above, the Adoration of the Magi below; (right) the Crucifixion. The exterior scenes are (left) the Ascension above, the Resurrection below; (right) the Coronation of the Virgin above, St Christopher and St George below.

Salting Bequest

In the nineteenth century, this object was part of the celebrated collection of the Austrian collector and dealer Frédéric Spitzer. On the sale of that collection in 1893, it was bought, along with much of the rest of the Spitzer collection, by George Salting. The cost of this diptych was 5,000 francs (as recorded in an annotated catalogue of the sale in the National Art Library, where it was Lot 1786), an indication of the esteem with which enamels of this sort were regarded in the nineteenth century. Salting bequeathed his collection to the nation on his death, and the V&A received this diptych, along with the bulk of Salting's decorative arts material.

The history of the diptych prior to its acquisition by Spitzer is not known. It has been suggested by M. Campbell that the presence of St George on the diptych may perhaps indicate a male rather than a female patron for this piece.

Small diptychs of this sort were intended for intimate, personal contemplation. This might take the form of an object placed in front of the viewer whilst at prayer, but it might also take place in more ecclesiastical contexts. For example, Marian Campbell has cited the description of an enamel like this in a will of 1359, which mentions an enamel panel 'accustomed to stand in my chapel on the altar', which seems to indicate that it was seen as a kind of mini-altarpiece for use in a private chapel. Such a precious object would not have been a permanent presence on such an altar, but would have been taken away after use. Indeed, the full significance of the iconography of this piece would only have been appreciable through handling, as the choice of scenes seems to make most sense if the diptych is read like a book. Taking this order, the front cover with the Coronation of the Virgin above Saints Christopher and George acts as a prologue, the first inner leaf has the story of Christ's incarnation, the second inner leaf has the crucifixion, and the last outer leaf finishes the story with Christ's resurrection and ascension. The fact that the Crucifixion is the only scene which takes up one whole side of the diptych emphasises its importance as a contemplative image used in prayer.

This work, from the style of the figures, has long been accepted as being of English origin, although few English enamels of the later middle ages have survived. The figure of Saint George on the reverse is closely comparable to works of the 1330s and 1340s, such as the stained glass St George at Wells (ca. 1330). M. Campbell has also noted that the depiction of the Crucifixion is very close to that on the Melton chalice of before 1340( see Age of Chivalry<, cat. no.>.

The two panels forming this diptych are attached by a hinge, which allow it to open and close like a book. Many small diptychs like this, whether of enamel or ivory, were decorated with biblical scenes or the images of saints, and were intended for personal devotion.

On the front of the left panel are the Annunciation and the Adoration of the Magi, on the front of the right hand panel is the Crucifixion. On the back are the Ascension, the Resurrection, the Coronation of the Virgin and images of Saint George and Saint Christopher.

Diptychs such as this may have been placed on a small altar in a private chapel, where it would have been used for prayerful contemplation. It might also have been held, like a little book, so that the tiny scenes on it could be contemplated more closely and in sequence. The fact that the Crucifixion is the only scene which takes up one whole side of the diptych emphasises the importance of the event. The presence of the images of St George and St Christopher perhaps suggest that the original owner may have been male, St George being the patron saint of soldiers.

M.544-1910