Label Copy for Website

12.20.10

***#1***

Eucharistic Dove
France (Limoges)
ca. 1210-30

Medieval Catholics believed that the bread consecrated during the sacrament of the
Eucharist became the body of Christ. Therefore vessels like this dove were created to
protect consecrated Hosts (the flat wafer used for Communion) between services.

This dove and others like it hung above a church altar acting for worshippers as a
reminder of Christ’s presence. The form this Eucharist holder takes is significant for the
dove is the traditional symbol of the Holy Spirit, the third person of God (the other two
being God the Father and Christ the Son) in the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit was
believed to proceed from the Father and from the Son, so the faithful could literally see
this connection in the material form of the dove containing the Hosts.

Enamel on copper
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (44.77, acquired by Henry Walters, 1926)

***#2***

Crozier Depicting the Virgin and Child with Two Angels and the Crucifixion
France
ca. 1340-50 (base added ca. 1900)

Since the early years of the Catholic Church bishops and abbots carried staffs like this
during processions. The head of a crozier takes on the form of a hook to resemble the
crook that shepherds use to herd sheep. The crozier symbolically identifies the
ecclesiastic bearing it as the leader of the flock of Christians within his congregation.

The small size of the carvings on this crozier suggests that the ornamentation was
primarily intended for the clergy’s contemplation. Scenes from the infancy and Passion
of Christ adorn either side of the crozier. During the Middle Ages these narratives were
often paired to indicate that Jesus’ fate was determined the moment he was born. The
snake twisting around the crozier’s staff refers to the Original Sin committed by Adam
and Eve, further underscoring Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice to free humanity from sin.

Ivory
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (71.232, acquired by Henry Walters, 1923)
***#3***

Chalice
Italy (Siena)
ca. 1375

Chalices like this were embellished to enhance the beauty and solemnity of the Mass.
Intricate enamels run along the stem beneath the cup to its base (known as a foot)
underscoring the significance of this cup which held the Eucharistic wine.

Images of Christ, the Virgin, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Peter, a female saint, and
Saint Paul appear on the knuckle in the center of the stem. Representations of the
Crucifixion, the Virgin, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Peter, a bishop saint, and Saint
Paul appear on the foot. The birds on the stem may be pelicans, animals which were
believed to resurrect their young with their own flesh and blood. They therefore mirror
the salvation offered humankind by Christ, embodied in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Gilt copper with enamels on silver

The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (44.223, acquired by Henry Walters, 1913)

***#4***

Reliquary
France (Limoges)
ca. 1230-50 (legs and crest added ca. 1900)

Relics, whether they were the bones of saints, wood from the True Cross, or something
that had come into contact with a sacred person, were especially revered during the
Middle Ages. Pilgrims would often travel hundreds of miles to visit a relic reputed to
work miracles. Boxes like this one held holy relics for display in churches. Occasionally,
on the saint’s feast day or during a liturgical celebration, the relics would be brought out
for veneration.

This reliquary shaped like a small church or building probably housed the remains of the
unnamed apostle (probably Thomas) portrayed on the door at one of its ends. Scenes
from Jesus’ childhood and Passion (the events leading to the Crucifixion) appear on one
long side. On the other side Mary and Jesus are shown seated in mandorlas (almond-
shaped haloes that indicate their holiness) surrounded by adoring saints.

Enamel on copper
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (44.247, acquired by Henry Walters, 1922)
***#5***

Icon of Saint George Killing the Dragon

Byzantine Empire, 12th century

Western and Byzantine Christians associated the triumph of the martyred warrior Saint
George from Lydda with the symbolic victory over evil, embodied by the dragon coiled
at the feet of his horse. In order to ward off evil, a Byzantine Christian prayed before this
miniature icon made of soapstone— otherwise known as steatite— a soft, but fragile
material that lent itself to carving.

The uneven texture on the reverse side suggests that this object was a portable icon with a
protective wooden panel. Portable icons were luxury items owned by those who could
afford them, and they permitted medieval worshippers to carry the object of their
veneration with them while traveling on pilgrimages or on military campaigns.

Steatite
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (41.205, acquired by Henry Walters, 1914)

***#6***

Diptych with the Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Crucifixion, and Last Judgment
Flanders or northeastern France
ca. 1375–1400

Used for personal devotion, this diptych could be closed and easily carried by its owner.
Set upon a private, perhaps portable altar, this expression of medieval piety would have
ushered its viewer into a meditative reflection upon the life of Christ. Its four reliefs
summarize the biblical account of human salvation from the Incarnation to the Second
Coming, when the dead will rise again like the figures emerging from their coffins
depicted here.

There is a highly sensitive treatment of human interaction displayed by the plaques. A

wealthy male patron could identify with Joseph’s solitary pleading before Christ; the
Magus who presented his gifts to Jesus like the patron who had this diptych made; or
John’s mourning at Calvary recreated for the observer in this ivory. There are also tender
scenes emphasizing the Virgin’s motherly devotion to her child, who was simultaneously
her son and Lord. The Virgin clutches the infant’s hand and swoons at her son’s death.
In deference to her spiritual king, the Virgin is shown on the lower right imploring Christ
to forgive not just her sins but those of all humanity.

Ivory
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (71.201, acquired by Henry Walters, 1925)
***#7***

Cameo with the Praying Virgin Mary

Byzantine Empire (probably Constantinople)
ca. 900 (mount added ca. 1925)

This miniature stone carving is very close in style to one in the Victoria and Albert
Museum (London) that, according to an inscription, was made for the eastern medieval,
Byzantine Emperor Leo VI (ruled 886–912). For a wealthy patron, it was advantageous
to identify the icon with a famous precursor.

Although the gold mount is modern, it informs us about how such small images were
once worn by their owners. Labeled in Greek “Mother of God,” Mary is shown with
outstretched hands, imploring her son to forgive the sins of humanity. The medieval
person who wore this precious cameo invoked the protection of Mary, the Mother of
Jesus, throughout the day, while simultaneously affirming a belief in the Virgin’s efforts
to restore humanity. Wearing the cameo was itself an act of worship.

Bloodstone
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (42.5, acquired by Henry Walters, 1928)