Abbot's pastoral staff thumbnail 1
Abbot's pastoral staff thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Europe 1600-1815, Room 3

This object consists of 4 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Abbot's pastoral staff

Pastoral Staff
ca. 1745 - ca. 1750 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This elaborate crozier was made by Joseph Deutschmann (or Teutschmann), who also executed decorative and architectural sculpture for the Aldersbach monastery in Bavaria from 1762/3 onwards.
The crook of the staff is made of two large pieces of ivory from the same tusk fitted together, with smaller additions at the sides, carved with four cherubim, shell-like and auricular scroll motifs, as well as the head and arms of a putto wearing a bishop's mitre, and a further winged putto below. In front of the putto with the mitre is the coat of arms of Cistercian monastery at Aldersbach in the diocese of Passau, Lower Bavaria, and the Holy Spirit, incised with the motto 'IN SIGNUM'. The other full-length putto holds the coat of arms of Theobald Ritlinger, the abbot of the monastery. The eyes of the cherubim and putti are painted, and their playful air seems to act as a witty counterpoint to the solemn liturgical function of the pastoral staff. The body of the staff is composed of three cylindrical pieces of ebony, with decorative fluted ivory fringes, and metal screw fittings. Theobald Ritlinger became abbot of the monastery in 1745; the staff was probably made shortly after that date.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Pastoral Staff
  • Staff
  • Staff
  • Staff
TitleAbbot's pastoral staff (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Rococo scrollwork, carved ivory
Brief description
Pastoral Staff, in four parts, ivory, with ebony staff, from an abbot, by Joseph Deutschmann, South Germany, after 1745
Physical description
The crook of the staff is carved with four cherubim, shell-like and scroll motifs, the head and arms of a putto wearing a bishop's mitre and a further winged putti below. In front of the putto with the mitre is the coat of arms of Cistercian monastery at Aldersbach in the diocese of Passau, Lower Bavaria, and the Holy Spirit, incised with the motto 'IN SIGNUM'. The other full-length putto holds the coat of arms of Theobald II Reitwinkler, the abbot of the monastery. The body of the staff is composed of three cylindrical pieces of ebony, with decorative fluted ivory fringes, and metal screw fittings. The crook of the staff is made of two large pieces of ivory from the same tusk fitted together, with smaller additions at the side.
Dimensions
  • Length: 25.8cm
  • Width: 16.5cm
  • Crook (inc. support post) height: 35.5cm (approx)
  • Crook (not inc. support post) height: 27cm (approx)
  • Crook width: 17.4cm (approx)
  • Crook depth: 5.8cm
  • Staff only length: 109cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Coats of arms of the Aldersbach monastery and of Theobald Ritlinger.
  • 'IN SIGNUM'
    Translation
    In or by (this) sign
Gallery label
PASTORAL STAFF South German; 18th century Ivory By Joseph Teutschmann (b. 1717; d.1787) (1993 - 2011)
Object history
Acquired from the Bernal collection (Sale, Christie's, March, 1855, No. 1685), for £20.
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
This elaborate crozier was made by Joseph Deutschmann (or Teutschmann), who also executed decorative and architectural sculpture for the Aldersbach monastery in Bavaria from 1762/3 onwards.
The crook of the staff is made of two large pieces of ivory from the same tusk fitted together, with smaller additions at the sides, carved with four cherubim, shell-like and auricular scroll motifs, as well as the head and arms of a putto wearing a bishop's mitre, and a further winged putto below. In front of the putto with the mitre is the coat of arms of Cistercian monastery at Aldersbach in the diocese of Passau, Lower Bavaria, and the Holy Spirit, incised with the motto 'IN SIGNUM'. The other full-length putto holds the coat of arms of Theobald Ritlinger, the abbot of the monastery. The eyes of the cherubim and putti are painted, and their playful air seems to act as a witty counterpoint to the solemn liturgical function of the pastoral staff. The body of the staff is composed of three cylindrical pieces of ebony, with decorative fluted ivory fringes, and metal screw fittings. Theobald Ritlinger became abbot of the monastery in 1745; the staff was probably made shortly after that date.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1855. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 67
  • Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. Part II. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1929, p. 97
  • For Teutschmann (Deutschmann) see P. Volk, Rokokoplastik in Altbayern, Bayrisch-Schwaben und im Allgäu. Munich, 1981, p. 84 x pls 11-113
  • Vogl, H. Joseph Deutschmann 1717-1787. Weißenhorn in Bayern, 1989, pl. 39, p. 201 (cat.no. Z2k): after 1745
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 62
Collection
Accession number
2166&A-1855

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Record createdMay 1, 2008
Record URL
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