Altar cross, gilt bronze with enamel, England, ca.1500-25

Arms with crocketed border ending in roundels each filled with the sign of an Evangelist in reserve against a backgroud of blue champleve enamel. Each of the symbols carries a scroll inscribed with the appropriate name in Gothic characters. The Christ is attached to an outlined inner cross engraved with squares. Attached to the stem above the bottom roundel are two sockets for branches. The back is decorated similarly to the front except that the roundels are decorated with single roses.

Medieval Worship

Until the 16th century Roman Catholicism was the universal faith of the Western world and Latin was its universal language. The needs of church ritual inspired the production of a range of richly decorated vessels and vestments, crosses and images in the form of altarpieces. Many were made of gold or silver, adorned with enamels or gems, precious materials seen as symbolic of the reverence due to the worship of God. Less wealthy churches used cheaper vessels in copper, brass or pewter.

The celebration of Mass was and remains the most important service of the Roman Catholic liturgy. For this the minimum requirements are an altar, a chalice and missal, the book of texts necessary for the Mass. Holy Communion or Eucharist is that part of the Mass in which the people participate in the sacrifice of Christ, by partaking of his body and blood in the consecrated bread and wine, held in the chalice and paten.

This cross could have stood on the altar or been used in procession. It is decorated with the symbols of the four Evangelists – the eagle of St John, the ox of St Luke, the angel of St Matthew and the lion of St Mark.

136-1879