Pax
ca. 1440 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This copper-gilt pax dates from around 1440. It has a cast representation of the Crucifixion of Christ with the Virgin Mary, now missing, and St John. The sun and moon are shown above, riveted to a pointed, arched, plate with an engraved trellis pattern containing foliage.
Use
A pax such as this would have been displayed on an altar table, then passed around at the blessing by the priest for the congregation to kiss. In early Christian times churchgoers gave each other a kiss of peace. By the 13th century, certainly in England, this custom had been replaced by the pax. Paxes formed part of the furnishings of all churches. They might be made of precious or base metal, enamel or even wood, and they often depicted the Crucifixion. There are numerous medieval literary allusions to quarrels over the order of precedence for kissing the pax. Attacked by English Protestants, the ceremony was abolished at the time of the Reformation. Few English examples have survived. Of those that do survive, the earliest date from around 1400. Base-metal paxes such as this one were mass produced.
This copper-gilt pax dates from around 1440. It has a cast representation of the Crucifixion of Christ with the Virgin Mary, now missing, and St John. The sun and moon are shown above, riveted to a pointed, arched, plate with an engraved trellis pattern containing foliage.
Use
A pax such as this would have been displayed on an altar table, then passed around at the blessing by the priest for the congregation to kiss. In early Christian times churchgoers gave each other a kiss of peace. By the 13th century, certainly in England, this custom had been replaced by the pax. Paxes formed part of the furnishings of all churches. They might be made of precious or base metal, enamel or even wood, and they often depicted the Crucifixion. There are numerous medieval literary allusions to quarrels over the order of precedence for kissing the pax. Attacked by English Protestants, the ceremony was abolished at the time of the Reformation. Few English examples have survived. Of those that do survive, the earliest date from around 1400. Base-metal paxes such as this one were mass produced.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Copper-gilt cast figures and engraved background |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA |
| Object history | Made in England |
| Summary | Object Type This copper-gilt pax dates from around 1440. It has a cast representation of the Crucifixion of Christ with the Virgin Mary, now missing, and St John. The sun and moon are shown above, riveted to a pointed, arched, plate with an engraved trellis pattern containing foliage. Use A pax such as this would have been displayed on an altar table, then passed around at the blessing by the priest for the congregation to kiss. In early Christian times churchgoers gave each other a kiss of peace. By the 13th century, certainly in England, this custom had been replaced by the pax. Paxes formed part of the furnishings of all churches. They might be made of precious or base metal, enamel or even wood, and they often depicted the Crucifixion. There are numerous medieval literary allusions to quarrels over the order of precedence for kissing the pax. Attacked by English Protestants, the ceremony was abolished at the time of the Reformation. Few English examples have survived. Of those that do survive, the earliest date from around 1400. Base-metal paxes such as this one were mass produced. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.35-1946 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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