Panel of clear glass painted with enamel colours and yellow (silver) stain. Depicting St. James the Greater. Made in Switzerland, dated 1618.

Panel of stained and painted glass. St. James the Greater.

Bequeathed by Mr. Walter Guthrie

St James the Greater is one of the Twelve Apostles, appointed by Christ himself as his special disciples and given charge of the spreading of Christ's teachings after his death. St James is called 'the Greater' to distinguish him from another apostle also called James, 'James the Less'.

After the death of Christ and in accordance with his instructions, the Apostles spread throughout the lands of the Roman Empire preaching the emerging new faith.

St. James was the first of the Apostles to be martyred. His death was ordered by Herod Agrippa in about the year 44 A.D.

The saints of the Christian church can often be identified by a device which is known as their attribute'. In this panel St James holds a pilgrim's staff with a drinking bottle attached. He is often portrayed wearing a hat with a cockleshell attached. This is related to his shrine at Santiago de Compostela in Northwest Spain which was one of the four major pilgrimage sites in the Middle Ages. St. James is usually depicted as a pilgrim.

In the medieval period the story of St. James was greatly embellished. In the centuries after his death a legend developed in northern Spain that during his lifetime he had travelled to the coast at Galicia and attempted to convert the local population. After awhile he returned to Jerusalem where he was martyred. His servant brought his body back to Galicia by boat. As the boat was approaching the shore, a man on horseback rode by. His horse was startled and threw the man in the water and he drowned. St. James' servant prayed for the life of the drowned man and the man miraculously emerged alive from the water, covered in cockleshells. This is how the cockleshell story arose.

In the early 9th century it was claimed that his burial site in Galicia had been discovered. The bishop of the area claimed that he had a vision in which God told him where the body of St. James was buried. He found the body and built a church on the site. This is the church of Santiago de Compostela.

By the 1th century Santiago de Compostela was a major pilgrimage destination. It still attracts thousands every year on his festival days.

St. James' legend is intimately associated with the history of Medieval Christian Spain. For many centuries the Christian rulers engaged in what is known as the 'Reconquista'. The Reconquista was the move to reclaim the lands of Spain for Christianity after it had been overrun by Muslim invaders in the 7th century. In one battle in 930, the King of Castile called on St. James for help and he appeared on a white horse, charging with the Spanish troops and dispersing the enemy.

Saints often were thought of as protectors and to have the relics of one of the most important saints, such as an Apostle, was to be ensured of divine protection.

The figure in this panel is St James the Greater, one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ. He was the first Apostle to be martyred, when Herod Agrippa ordered his death, about AD 44.

The saints of the Christian church can often be identified by a device, known as their attribute. Here St James holds a pilgrim’s staff with a drinking bottle attached. He is usually depicted as a pilgrim and often wears a hat with a cockleshell attached.

In the medieval period a legend developed in northern Spain that St James had travelled to the coast of Galicia in order to convert the local population. After he was martyred in Jerusalem, his servant brought his body back to Galicia by sea. As the boat approached the shore, a startled horse threw its rider and the man drowned. The servant prayed, and miraculously the rider emerged alive from the water, covered in cockleshells, hence James’s shell.

In the early 9th century the local bishop claimed that God had told him where to find the body of St James. He built a church on the site. By the 11th century Santiago de Compostela was a major destination for pilgrims. It still attracts thousands every year.

C.235-1934