Cross with corpus figure, Copper, enamel and glass beads, France, Limoges, ca.1200

Altar cross (the middle portion). Originally mounted, with end pieces, on a wooden foundation. Champleve enamel on copper- gilt, the eyes and crown of the applied figure are set with glass pastes. Ground of lapis blue, with a cross in green and yellow, and variegated rosettes. At the top is the Hand of God and IHS. The figure has open eyes and wears a crown.

Bequeathed by Mrs George Cowell

Bequest from Mrs George Cowell.

IMAGES OF THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST

Man's salvation through Christ's death on the cross and resurrection is the core belief of Christianity. From the earliest times the cross became the archetypal symbol of the religion.

The figures of Christ in this display would all originally have been fitted to metal crosses and used for veneration on the altar or carried in procession. The crosses themselves have been lost or melted down but the figures have been preserved, probably for their artistic and spiritual value.

Throughout the Middle Ages the image of Christ underwent a remarkable evolution, reflecting the gradually changing theology of Christ. The Gospels tell of him being stripped of his clothes to be crucified, but artists never depicted him naked. Early examples project an image in full length tunic or long skirt, eyes open, wearing a royal crown and epitomising the concept of his kingship and triumph over death. From about 1200 western artists focused on Christ's human suffering and depicted him in death, or dying, broken and tormented.

The core belief of Christianity is human salvation through Christ’s death on the cross and his Resurrection. The cross therefore has long been the central symbol of Christianity and a focus of veneration.

According to the Gospels, Christ was stripped of his clothes to be crucified, but medieval artists seldom showed him naked. In this depiction, as was common in the early Middle Ages, Christ wears a tunic and a crown to symbolise his kingship and triumph over death. The tiny white skull below the cross alludes to Golgotha (‘the place of the skull’), by tradition the site of both the Crucifixion and Adam’s burial.

M.220-1925