Anglo-Saxon reliquary cross facts for kids
The Reliquary Cross is a very old and special object. It was made around the late 900s. It features an Anglo-Saxon (English) figure of Jesus carved from ivory. This figure is placed on an older cross, creating a type of container called a reliquary. A reliquary holds relics, which are small, sacred items. This important cross is kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. You can usually see it in the "Medieval and Renaissance" gallery.
Contents
The Reliquary Cross
What is it made of?
The main part of the cross is made from cedar wood. It is covered with thin sheets of gold. These gold sheets have amazing designs called filigree work. This means tiny gold wires are twisted and shaped into patterns.
The figure of Jesus, also called the corpus, is carved from walrus ivory. It was likely made in Winchester, England. The small sign above Jesus's head (called a titulus) and the four round pieces (medallions) are made with cloisonné enamel. This is a special way of decorating metal with colored glass. These enamel parts also seem to be English.
Experts think the main body of the cross itself might be German. This is because of a special way the gold filigree was done. It probably came from areas like Aachen or Essen around the same time.
Why is it special?
The V&A museum says this cross is one of the few surviving objects that show how fancy churches were in England before the Norman Conquest (in 1066). The enamel work on the cross is very rare for Anglo-Saxon art. It might have been made by an English goldsmith who knew about German art styles.
The wooden part of the cross might have been thought to be a relic itself. Perhaps people believed it was a small piece of the True Cross, the cross Jesus was crucified on. Because of its size and weight, it was probably not worn around the neck like a pectoral cross. Instead, it likely hung above an altar or a special shrine in a church.
What does it look like?
The cross is made of cedar wood, covered with gold sheets. The back of the cross has designs that are now a bit flattened. The front is decorated with the gold filigree, the colorful enamels, and the ivory figure of Jesus.
The figure of Jesus is carved from walrus ivory. He has a halo and a crown. He also has a beard and wears a loin-cloth with many folds. His head leans to the right, and his long hair falls in braids onto his shoulders. Golden nails hold the figure in place through his palms.
Above Jesus's head is the `titulus`, a small sign. There are also four medallions. These medallions show symbols of the four Evangelists, who wrote the Gospels in the Bible. All these parts are made of cloisonné enamel. The back of the cross shows the Lamb of God and the Evangelists' symbols. These are made using a technique called repoussé, where the metal is hammered from behind to create a raised design.
Dimensions and Details
The cross is about 18.5 centimeters (7.3 inches) tall. It is 13.7 centimeters (5.4 inches) wide and 2.6 centimeters (1 inch) deep. It weighs about 0.22 kilograms (0.5 pounds). The figure of Jesus itself is 12.2 centimeters (4.8 inches) tall and 10.9 centimeters (4.3 inches) wide.
A Hidden Secret
In 1926, during cleaning, a small, sacred object was found inside a hidden space under the figure of Jesus. It was likely a relic. A difficult-to-read message around the edge of the cross seems to list the relics of saints that were once kept inside.
Even though some church leaders didn't like it, having small pieces of saints as relics was common in Anglo-Saxon England. For example, in 932 AD, King Athelstan gave many relics to a monastery in Exeter. This gift included a relic believed to be from Mary Magdalene.
David Wilson, an expert, noticed something interesting. The figure of Jesus on this cross looks very similar to a drawing in the Ramsey Psalter. This drawing is from around 980-1000 AD.
