MEDIEVAL CRUCIFIX

1100

Medieval copper alloy Limoges mount from the terminal of the upper arm of a cross. T-shaped, engraved with the Eagle of Saint John within a border of zig-zags between two raiied lines around the edge of the plate, the eagle's wings raised and bent at angles to fill the arms of the mount, the head surrounded by a nimbus and turned to face left. Feathers are represented by lines on the wings and dashes or dots on the neck and breast. The engraving now survives proud of the surface where gilding has protected it. Degraded red and blue enamel survives. There is an empty rivet hole through each wing and an off-centre rivet hole retaining copper alloy rivet through the chest. Maximum surviving length: 46mm, width:35mm. 12th - 13th century.See NMS-566F60, SUSS-54B2C4 and GLO-B28210, and O'Neill & Egan (1996, 235, Fig.63b)