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…
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…
Date: 9th–11th centuries Place of Production: Byzantine Empire Description: This small rock crystal seal depicts Christ on the Cross, flanked by his mother and Mary Magdalene. The inscription is heavily abbreviated to fit the small object, but reads ‘Here is your son, Here is your mother’ Held at: Metropolitan Museum of New York Accession Number: 86.11.38 Images…
Date: 10th century Place of Production: Germany Description: This wooden case originally housed a copy of the four gospels. Its cover is decorated with gilt; a cross shape punctuates the page adorned with gem stones, and divides it into four quarters, each of which is decorated with the animals that represent each of the four evangelists. At the…
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…
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…
