The Mondsee Gospels

  Date: 11th century Place of Production: Regensburg, Germany Description: This eleventh-century Gospel Book is famous for its exquisite detail and the rarity of its survival as a complete book. The cover demonstrates all the hallmarks of Ottonian art, with silver filigree and gilding. Ivory plaques depict the four Evangelists, while a golden image of the…

Viking Crystal Pendant

Date: c.750–1050 Place of Production: Unknown, found on Gotland Description: This small rock crystal pendant is beautifully housed in silverwork. Little is known about it, but it was probably brought to Gotland as either trade or plunder in the eighth to eleventh centuries. Alternatively, it may have been produced in a workshop  Held at: The Swedish…

Lothar Cross

Date: c. 1000 (base is 14th century) Place of Production: Germany, probably Cologne Description: The Lothar Cross, is named after the large rock crystal cameo of the Carolingian ruler of Lotharingia Lothar II (near its base). The cross itself was wrought in gold almost a century after Lothar’s rule, by one of the Ottonian dynasty (possibly Otto…

Star-shaped brooch with intaglio sapphire

Date: 950-1000 (brooch); 337-50 (intaglio sapphire) Place of Production: Ottonian Empire (brooch); Eastern Roman Empire (intaglio sapphire) Description: Jewels conceived of as microarchitecure are one of the distinctive hallmarks of Ottonian goldsmiths’ work. This brooch is composed of a series of arcaded gold cells, linked together to form a star, but its definite horizontal and vertical axes, in…