Date: first half of the 10th century Place of Production: England Description: A large, 4.4m stone cross, featuring elaborate carvings representing scenes drawn from Norse mythology as well as a depiction of the crucifixion of Christ. Held at: St Mary’s Church, Gosforth. Images licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Image by Doug Sim.
Place of Production: England. Date: circa 9th century. Description: This fragment of an embroidered piece of silk incorporates metallic thread with metal beads. It is around 17cm x 5cm. Held at: Los Angeles County Fund Accession Number: 55.57.1 Image in the Public Domain.
Date: 9th century Place of Production: England. Description: These pieces of embroidered material are believed to be the oldest extant Western European embroideries. Though they were identified as textiles made by Saints Relindis and Harlindis, two Frankish noble sisters from the convent of Aldeneik, it is now thought that they are of Anglo-Saxon English origin from some point…
Date: Early 10th century Place of Production: England, possibly Winchester. Description: When St Cuthbert’s coffin was opened in the nineteenth century, several well-preserved textiles dating from the early tenth century were found inside, including a stole and maniple. Both were embroidered with ‘Ælflæd ordered this to be made’ on the reverse; this is most likely the second wife…
Date: c. 1070s Place of Production: England Description: The Bayeux Tapestry (or Bayeux Embroidery) is a remarkable achievement of eleventh-century textile art. At 50cm x 68m, it is an exceptionally large example of embroidered artwork, with scenes depicting the lead-up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 embroidered in wool on a linen background. The origins of…
Date: c. 1020 Place of Production: Uncertain Description: Embroidered cope (ceremonial cloak) of Henry II. The original fabric of the cope no longer survives; the embroidered sections were cut out and remounted onto a new blue silk damask. The current cope is 3m x 1.5m and was originally commissioned by Duke Ismahel of Bari before being given to…
Date: c. 1015 Place of Production: Germany Description: Two bronze cast doors with relief decoration showing scenes from the Bible. Each of the doors was cast as a single piece using the lost-wax method. Each door measures 4.7 x c.1.2 m and weighs about 1.85 tonnes. Held at: Hildesheim Cathedral Image 1 in Public Domain. Image by Bischöfliche Pressestelle Hildesheim.…
Date: c. 980 Place of Production: Germany Description: 74cm-tall sculpture of the Virgin holding the infant Jesus, made from a wooden core covered with sheets of gold. It is one of the oldest known full-length, free-standing sculptures of the Madonna in the medieval West. Held at: Essen Cathedral Treasury Image 1 licensed under CC BY 2.5. Image by Arnoldius. Image…
Date: 1080 Place of Production: Merseburg, Germany Description: Bronze tomb effigy embedded in the floor of Merseburg Cathedral. Rudolf’s tomb is one of the first known in the medieval west to be marked with a sculpted effigy in bronze, which was originally covered in gilding. Held at: Merseburg Cathedral Images licensed under CC BY 2.5. Image by Michail Jungierek.
Date: c. 970s Place of Production: Cologne, Germany Description: Oak cross with crucified Christ, made for Archbishop Gero of Cologne. The sculpture is carved, painted and partially gilded. The halo and cross are original, but the surround was a later 17th-century Baroque addition. Standing over six feet tall, it is one of the earliest monumental…