Plaque
1275-1300
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Silver plaque in the form of a pointed arch, engraved and nielloed with an image of St James, on a diapered background. James holds his emblem (a cockle shell) and his pilgrim's staff; he is further identified by a roll which names him. The left side of the plaque lacks a silver border. Thirteen holes have been punched round the edge of the plaque; those on the left and lower sides are punched into the image area; those on the right and top are punched into the thin silver border. A hole over the saint's mouth has been repaired (repair visible on the reverse of the plaque). The composition of the niello was tested by Graham Martin on 25/05/1982 and found to be lead, copper and silver.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | silver, niello |
| Brief description | Silver, with an image of St James in niello, late 13th c, possibly Meuse Valley (Belgium, France or Germany) |
| Physical description | Silver plaque in the form of a pointed arch, engraved and nielloed with an image of St James, on a diapered background. James holds his emblem (a cockle shell) and his pilgrim's staff; he is further identified by a roll which names him. The left side of the plaque lacks a silver border. Thirteen holes have been punched round the edge of the plaque; those on the left and lower sides are punched into the image area; those on the right and top are punched into the thin silver border. A hole over the saint's mouth has been repaired (repair visible on the reverse of the plaque). The composition of the niello was tested by Graham Martin on 25/05/1982 and found to be lead, copper and silver. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | PLAQUE OF ST. JAMES
Neilloed silver
Flemish (?); c.1300
Given by Dr. W. L. Hildburgh
Probably a plaque from the wing of a devotional triptych |
| Credit line | Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh |
| Object history | Bequeathed to the Museum by Dr W. L. Hildburgh. Historical significance: The plaque is a unique example of the use of niello to depict an image on a large scale. Niello -- the technique of engraving a design and filling the engraved lines with a black substance -- became fashionable once more in the thirteenth century. |
| Historical context | The shape of the plaque suggests it was part of a reliquary or a triptych. The crudely-punched nail holes, which interfere with the image area on the left and lower sides, suggest the plaque was removed from its original context and re-used elsewhere. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.38-1952 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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