Cross
late 15th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The cross is the central emblem of Christianity and the symbol of Christ’s Crucifixion. It first appeared about 350, possibly for use in private prayer. Crosses were also carried in procession before a service. In early times, people held them in their hand, but later they raised them high on poles.
Both altar and processional crosses were generally made of precious or gilded metal, or ivory, and decorated with gems. From about 800 they bore the image of the crucified Christ and became known as crucifixes. By about 1100 the imagery of European crosses had become established. It usually included the symbols of the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), often with the Virgin Mary and St John flanking the figure of Christ crucified.
The mesh-like Gothic ornament on this cross is in a style found only in northern Italy. The knop (the protrusion on the stem) depicts two Franciscan saints, Bernardino of Siena and Francis. Bernardino, who died in 1444, was a preacher renowned for his devotion to the holy name of Jesus. He holds a roundel inscribed with ‘IHS’, a contraction of the
name Jesus Christ in Greek.
Both altar and processional crosses were generally made of precious or gilded metal, or ivory, and decorated with gems. From about 800 they bore the image of the crucified Christ and became known as crucifixes. By about 1100 the imagery of European crosses had become established. It usually included the symbols of the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), often with the Virgin Mary and St John flanking the figure of Christ crucified.
The mesh-like Gothic ornament on this cross is in a style found only in northern Italy. The knop (the protrusion on the stem) depicts two Franciscan saints, Bernardino of Siena and Francis. Bernardino, who died in 1444, was a preacher renowned for his devotion to the holy name of Jesus. He holds a roundel inscribed with ‘IHS’, a contraction of the
name Jesus Christ in Greek.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver parcel gilt and wood |
| Brief description | Silver, parcel-gilt over wood, Italy, ca.1450-1500 |
| Physical description | Silver parcel gilt in a wooden foundation. The knop of copper gilt set with stamped silver medallions. Cusped arms stamped with openwork tracery and ending in octagons with incurved sides embossed with- front: Pelican (top), Virgin (left), St John (right), St Mary Magadelene (Bottom); back: the symbols of the evangelists with the demi figure of the Almighty in the middle. Round the rim are spherical knobs alternating with smaller nails shaped like cottage loaves. Behind the head of Christ is a stamped medallion representing the Virgin in a ship and inscribed NAVIS MARIE. Depressed spherical knop with pounced ground, set with six stamped medallions representing the Vernicle, the Virgin and Child, the Baptist (?), St. Bernardino. the figure of Pity and St. Francis. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | NAVIS MARIE Note Possibly a pilgrims badge from Our Lady of Bologne |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh |
| Object history | Hildburgh Gift |
| Historical context | Altar and Processional Crosses The cross is the distinctive emblem of Christianity and the symbol of Christ's crucifixion. Models of the cross begin to appear from about 350 AD, probably for use in private prayer. Only from about 1000 was a cross regularly placed on the altar during Mass; a more ancient custom was to suspend a cross above the altar or to place one beside it. Crosses were also carried in procession before a service. In early centuries these were hand-held, later replaced by more visible crosses raised on staffs. Altar and processional crosses were generally made of precious or gilt metal, or ivory, and decorated with gems. From about 800 they were adorned with the image of the crucified Christ and became known as crucifixes. By about 1100 the iconography of European crosses had become established, usually including the symbols of the four Evangelists, often with the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist flanking the figure of Christ crucified. |
| Summary | The cross is the central emblem of Christianity and the symbol of Christ’s Crucifixion. It first appeared about 350, possibly for use in private prayer. Crosses were also carried in procession before a service. In early times, people held them in their hand, but later they raised them high on poles. Both altar and processional crosses were generally made of precious or gilded metal, or ivory, and decorated with gems. From about 800 they bore the image of the crucified Christ and became known as crucifixes. By about 1100 the imagery of European crosses had become established. It usually included the symbols of the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), often with the Virgin Mary and St John flanking the figure of Christ crucified. The mesh-like Gothic ornament on this cross is in a style found only in northern Italy. The knop (the protrusion on the stem) depicts two Franciscan saints, Bernardino of Siena and Francis. Bernardino, who died in 1444, was a preacher renowned for his devotion to the holy name of Jesus. He holds a roundel inscribed with ‘IHS’, a contraction of the name Jesus Christ in Greek. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.7-1951 |
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| Record created | March 18, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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