Monumental Brass
ca. 1400 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This memorial brass shows a naked figure wearing a mitre, embraced by a bearded man. This represents the soul of a now unknown Abbot or Bishop, held in the embrace of Abraham, a scene inspired by the New Testament story of Dives and Lazarus in the Gospel of St. Luke. This mentions the 'bosom of Abraham' as meaning a place of comfort, either Heaven itself, or Limbo, the place where the righteous dead await Judgement Day.
Memorial brasses were made throughout Europe from the 13th until towards the end of the 17th century. They were fitted onto the lids of tombs and memorial slabs to commemorate the lives of the deceased. Colour could be added to monumental brasses, and this example has traces of wax inlay. Monumental brasses generally reflected the status and identity of the individual they commemorated, and were often accompanied by inscriptions to identify them, although this brass has unfortunately been separated from its inscription. Memorial brasses are important sources of information about clothing, armour, status and social aspirations, as they naturally reflected the status and identity of the individual they commemorated, and are frequently dated, an otherwise rare occurence in medieval art.
Memorial brasses were made throughout Europe from the 13th until towards the end of the 17th century. They were fitted onto the lids of tombs and memorial slabs to commemorate the lives of the deceased. Colour could be added to monumental brasses, and this example has traces of wax inlay. Monumental brasses generally reflected the status and identity of the individual they commemorated, and were often accompanied by inscriptions to identify them, although this brass has unfortunately been separated from its inscription. Memorial brasses are important sources of information about clothing, armour, status and social aspirations, as they naturally reflected the status and identity of the individual they commemorated, and are frequently dated, an otherwise rare occurence in medieval art.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Brass, wax |
| Brief description | Monumental brass, coloured with wax, depicting the soul of a bishop or abbot held by the seated figure of Abraham, French or Flemish, ca. 1400 |
| Physical description | Monumental brass, engraved and the engraving filled with wax, coloured with copper carbonate in red, blue and white. Evidence in some areas of blue covering the red. The plaque depicts the soul of a bishop or abbot held in a napkin by a seated bearded figure, Abraham. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Purchased from Charles Ratton for £120 in 1949 Historical significance: This memorial brass shows a naked figure wearing a mitre, embraced by a bearded man. This represents the soul of an Abbot or Bishop, held in the embrace of Abraham, a scene inspired by the New Testament story of Dives and Lazarus in the Gospel of St. Luke. This mentions the 'bosom of Abraham' as meaning a place of comfort, either Heaven itself, or Limbo, the place where the righteous dead await Judgement Day. Memorial brasses are important sources of information about clothing, armour, status and social aspirations as they are often accompanied by inscriptions and are one of the few examples of medieval art that is consistently dated. This one has unfortunately been separated from its inscription. Monumental brasses naturally reflected the status and identity of the individual they commemorated. This fragment may have belonged to an abbot or bishop, whose soul is depicted being taken to heaven. |
| Historical context | Memorial brasses were made throughout Europe from the 13th until towards the end of the 17th century. They were fitted onto the lids of tombs and memorial slabs to commemorate the lives of the deceased. Brass or latten (copper alloy) memorials were cheaper alternatives to sculpted stone memorials. English brasses survive in greater numbers than those from continental Europe, and commemorate a broader cross-section of society: bishops, knights, esquires and merchants made up the clientele. The wealthiest ranks of society opted for more elaborate monuments. In continental Europe, however, brasses seem to have been more the preserve of the aristocracy. Colour could be added to monumental brasses,usually in the form of wax, like this example. A more expensive and technically demanding alternative was to use enamel. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This memorial brass shows a naked figure wearing a mitre, embraced by a bearded man. This represents the soul of a now unknown Abbot or Bishop, held in the embrace of Abraham, a scene inspired by the New Testament story of Dives and Lazarus in the Gospel of St. Luke. This mentions the 'bosom of Abraham' as meaning a place of comfort, either Heaven itself, or Limbo, the place where the righteous dead await Judgement Day. Memorial brasses were made throughout Europe from the 13th until towards the end of the 17th century. They were fitted onto the lids of tombs and memorial slabs to commemorate the lives of the deceased. Colour could be added to monumental brasses, and this example has traces of wax inlay. Monumental brasses generally reflected the status and identity of the individual they commemorated, and were often accompanied by inscriptions to identify them, although this brass has unfortunately been separated from its inscription. Memorial brasses are important sources of information about clothing, armour, status and social aspirations, as they naturally reflected the status and identity of the individual they commemorated, and are frequently dated, an otherwise rare occurence in medieval art. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.69-1949 |
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| Record created | February 28, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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