Curfew
1627 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Curfews kept the fire embers smouldering at night ready for reviving the next morning. The name is a corruption of the French 'couvre feu' (fire cover). This is one of the earliest in brass to survive. The engraving shows the burning of Saint Laurence on a gridiron, his penalty for giving the Church's treasures to the poor rather than the Roman Emperor.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Brass, raised, embossed and engraved |
| Brief description | Brass, the Netherlands, dated 1627. |
| Physical description | Brass curfew, embossed with scenes from the lives of two saints: St Laurence and possibly St Francis. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed 'SLARENTIUS 1627'
|
| Credit line | Duke of Kent Gift |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Curfews kept the fire embers smouldering at night ready for reviving the next morning. The name is a corruption of the French 'couvre feu' (fire cover). This is one of the earliest in brass to survive. The engraving shows the burning of Saint Laurence on a gridiron, his penalty for giving the Church's treasures to the poor rather than the Roman Emperor. |
| Bibliographic reference | Patterson, Angus, "The Belinda Gentle Metalware Gallery at the V&A", Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, Volume 13, June 2005, p. 46, Fig. 7 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.5-1940 |
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| Record created | August 25, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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