Monumental Brass
1420-1440 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a memorial brass dating from the mid 15th century of a knight in armour. Memorial brasses were fitted onto the lids of tombs and memorial slabs to commemorate the lives of the medieval people and offer hope for their spirits. Today they are important sources of information about clothing, armour, status and social aspirations as they are often accompanied by inscriptions and are one of the few examples of medieval art that is consistently dated. This one has unfortunately been separated from its inscription.
English brasses survive in greater numbers than those in Europe, partly because they commemorated a broader cross-section of society. Bishops, knights, esquires and merchants made up the clientele. The wealthiest ranks of society opted for more elaborate monuments. In Europe, however, the brass was the preserve of the aristocracy.
The brass as a raw material was imported from Europe, especially Cologne. By far the greatest number of brasses are found in the eastern counties, particularly Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, close to ports with connections to Germany and the Netherlands. English brasses in the 13th and 14th centuries can be identified by the fact that the figure commemorated is usually cut out to the outline whereas the European examples are more often engraved on a plain rectangle.
By the 15th century designs became standardised suggesting brasses were the products of a few large workshops. The effigies, as in this case, were often represented as reclining with their hands clasped tightly in prayer and their feet resting against a heraldic animal such as a lion or a dog, with sword hanging down to the side. However, the collar of interlinked 'S' characters identifies this brass as belonging to a supporter of the Lancastrian dynasty that ruled England from 1399 to 1461 and was finally defeated by Henry VII.
The symbolism of the dog has been the subject of debate. The dog may be either a symbol of loyalty or a representation of evil. Dogs had a low reputation in Christian tradition and the effigy on this brass appears to be pressing down hard on the dog with his feet.
English brasses survive in greater numbers than those in Europe, partly because they commemorated a broader cross-section of society. Bishops, knights, esquires and merchants made up the clientele. The wealthiest ranks of society opted for more elaborate monuments. In Europe, however, the brass was the preserve of the aristocracy.
The brass as a raw material was imported from Europe, especially Cologne. By far the greatest number of brasses are found in the eastern counties, particularly Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, close to ports with connections to Germany and the Netherlands. English brasses in the 13th and 14th centuries can be identified by the fact that the figure commemorated is usually cut out to the outline whereas the European examples are more often engraved on a plain rectangle.
By the 15th century designs became standardised suggesting brasses were the products of a few large workshops. The effigies, as in this case, were often represented as reclining with their hands clasped tightly in prayer and their feet resting against a heraldic animal such as a lion or a dog, with sword hanging down to the side. However, the collar of interlinked 'S' characters identifies this brass as belonging to a supporter of the Lancastrian dynasty that ruled England from 1399 to 1461 and was finally defeated by Henry VII.
The symbolism of the dog has been the subject of debate. The dog may be either a symbol of loyalty or a representation of evil. Dogs had a low reputation in Christian tradition and the effigy on this brass appears to be pressing down hard on the dog with his feet.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Latten (copper alloy) |
| Brief description | Effigy of a knight in armour with a collar of 'S's and a sword by his side, his feet resting on a dog, England, 1420-1480 |
| Physical description | Memorial brass, engraved, the monumental effigy of a knight in armour, his hands held in prayer, a sword by his side and a collar with 'S' shapes around his neck. His armour is that of a 15th century horseman. He has scallop-shaped elbow-cops and on his feet he wears pointed sabotons and a pair of rowel spurs. His feet rest on a dog. There are fixing holes for rivets at the point of the helmet, centre of the chest, elbows, waist, thighs, shins, toes and between the feet. There are several areas of damage: the sword is missing its pommel and outer quillon (crossbar) and is broken where the tip of the blade should meet the base. A small square section is missing from the bottom left corner and the surface of the brass has many nicks and scratches. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | The Museum bought this brass in 1859 for £12. No details of its original location are known. Historical significance: Memorial brasses are important sources of information about clothing, armour, status and social aspirations as they are often accompanied by inscriptions and are one of the few examples of medieval art that is consistently dated. This one has unfortunately been separated from its inscription. However, the collar of interlinked 'S' characters identifies this brass as belonging to a supporter of the Lancastrian dynasty that ruled England from 1399 to 1461, when Henry VI was defeated by Edward of York (crowned June 28 as Edward IV). Members of the Lancastrian retinue are commemorated by a number of tombs and brasses of the period. Many of these men can be distinguished by the wearing of the family collar. |
| Historical context | Memorial brasses were made throughout Europe from the 13th until nearly the end of the 17th century. They were fitted onto the lids of tombs and memorial slabs to commemorate the lives of the deceased. Brass or latten (copper alloy) memorials gradually superseded stone memorials. English brasses survive in greater numbers than those in Europe, partly because they commemorated a broader cross-section of society. Bishops, knights, esquires and merchants made up the clientele. The wealthiest ranks of society opted for more elaborate monuments. In Europe, however, the brass was more the preserve of the aristocracy. The brass as a raw material was imported from Europe, especially Cologne. By far the greatest number of brasses are found in the eastern counties, particularly Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, close to ports with connections to Germany and the Netherlands. English brasses in the 13th and 14th centuries can be identified by the fact that the figure commemorated is usually cut out to the outline whereas the European examples are more often engraved on a plain rectangle. By the 15th century designs became standardised suggesting brasses were the products of a few large workshops. The effigies, as in this case, were often represented as reclining with their hands clasped tightly in prayer and their feet resting against a heraldic animal such as a lion or a dog, with sword hanging down to the side. This type of brass was used commonly from around 1390 to about 1480 and can usually be dated more closely by examining the armour. The symbolism of the dog has been the subject of debate. The dog is seen by some specialists as a symbol of loyalty and by others as a representation of evil. Dogs had a low reputation in Christian tradition and the effigy on this brass appears to be pressing down hard on the dog with his feet. Later in the 15th century dogs on brass took on a more benign role and often represented named pets. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This is a memorial brass dating from the mid 15th century of a knight in armour. Memorial brasses were fitted onto the lids of tombs and memorial slabs to commemorate the lives of the medieval people and offer hope for their spirits. Today they are important sources of information about clothing, armour, status and social aspirations as they are often accompanied by inscriptions and are one of the few examples of medieval art that is consistently dated. This one has unfortunately been separated from its inscription. English brasses survive in greater numbers than those in Europe, partly because they commemorated a broader cross-section of society. Bishops, knights, esquires and merchants made up the clientele. The wealthiest ranks of society opted for more elaborate monuments. In Europe, however, the brass was the preserve of the aristocracy. The brass as a raw material was imported from Europe, especially Cologne. By far the greatest number of brasses are found in the eastern counties, particularly Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, close to ports with connections to Germany and the Netherlands. English brasses in the 13th and 14th centuries can be identified by the fact that the figure commemorated is usually cut out to the outline whereas the European examples are more often engraved on a plain rectangle. By the 15th century designs became standardised suggesting brasses were the products of a few large workshops. The effigies, as in this case, were often represented as reclining with their hands clasped tightly in prayer and their feet resting against a heraldic animal such as a lion or a dog, with sword hanging down to the side. However, the collar of interlinked 'S' characters identifies this brass as belonging to a supporter of the Lancastrian dynasty that ruled England from 1399 to 1461 and was finally defeated by Henry VII. The symbolism of the dog has been the subject of debate. The dog may be either a symbol of loyalty or a representation of evil. Dogs had a low reputation in Christian tradition and the effigy on this brass appears to be pressing down hard on the dog with his feet. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 5781-1859 |
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| Record created | October 2, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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