Cross
1700-1799 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
After the prolonged and destructive Thirty Years War of 1618-48, Europe split into a Catholic south and a Protestant north. As a result, the number of Baroque churches and places of pilgrimage in the Alpine region increased. This led to a great demand for religious medals, crosses and souvenir jewellery, often in a form that was specific to a particular holy site.
The Ulrichkreuz, or cross of St. Ulrich, was associated with Augsburg, the site of the great Benedictine abbey of Saints Ulrich and Afra. The original cross, which contained a piece of the True Cross, given to St. Ulrich in Rome, was shaped like an equilateral Greek cross. The pilgrim souvenirs always preserved this shape, but the images and inscriptions varied. This cross has the Battle of Lechfeld on one side, showing St. Ulrich riding into battle side by side with the Emperor, and receiving the cross of victory from an angel. On the other side is the image of the Madonna of the Schnecken chapel, in the abbey at Augsburg.
The Ulrich cross was considered particularly effective against plagues of mice.
The Ulrichkreuz, or cross of St. Ulrich, was associated with Augsburg, the site of the great Benedictine abbey of Saints Ulrich and Afra. The original cross, which contained a piece of the True Cross, given to St. Ulrich in Rome, was shaped like an equilateral Greek cross. The pilgrim souvenirs always preserved this shape, but the images and inscriptions varied. This cross has the Battle of Lechfeld on one side, showing St. Ulrich riding into battle side by side with the Emperor, and receiving the cross of victory from an angel. On the other side is the image of the Madonna of the Schnecken chapel, in the abbey at Augsburg.
The Ulrich cross was considered particularly effective against plagues of mice.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver |
| Brief description | Silver cross of St. Ulrich (Ulrichkreuz), Augsburg, 1700-1799. |
| Physical description | Pendant medallion shaped like a Greek cross. On one side is a cast picture of the Battle of Lechfeld, 955 AD, on the other the Madonna of the Schneckenkapelle, standing on a half-moon between two flying angels, with the words 'CRUX VICTORIA/LIS' (cross of victory) above. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Mr L. A. Lawrence |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | After the prolonged and destructive Thirty Years War of 1618-48, Europe split into a Catholic south and a Protestant north. As a result, the number of Baroque churches and places of pilgrimage in the Alpine region increased. This led to a great demand for religious medals, crosses and souvenir jewellery, often in a form that was specific to a particular holy site. The Ulrichkreuz, or cross of St. Ulrich, was associated with Augsburg, the site of the great Benedictine abbey of Saints Ulrich and Afra. The original cross, which contained a piece of the True Cross, given to St. Ulrich in Rome, was shaped like an equilateral Greek cross. The pilgrim souvenirs always preserved this shape, but the images and inscriptions varied. This cross has the Battle of Lechfeld on one side, showing St. Ulrich riding into battle side by side with the Emperor, and receiving the cross of victory from an angel. On the other side is the image of the Madonna of the Schnecken chapel, in the abbey at Augsburg. The Ulrich cross was considered particularly effective against plagues of mice. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.122-1926 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | August 1, 2006 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
