Lichfield Angel facts for kids
The Lichfield Angel is an amazing stone carving from the late 700s. It was found in 2003 at Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire, England. This special carving shows the archangel Gabriel. It was likely the left side of a bigger stone picture. The other side, which is now missing, probably showed the Virgin Mary. Together, they would have shown the annunciation, which is when Gabriel told Mary she would have a baby, Jesus.
People think the carving was part of a special box or "shrine." This shrine held the remains of Saint Chad, who died in 672. Lichfield Cathedral is dedicated to both Saint Chad and Mary.
The Lichfield Angel was found buried in the main part of the cathedral, called the nave. Workers were digging there to build a new altar platform. The carving was broken into three pieces. Two of these pieces were carefully placed face-down in the ground. This helped to protect the original colors painted on the stone. It's very rare to find Anglo-Saxon stone carvings with their paint still visible! The halo around Gabriel's head might have even been covered in gold.
The pieces might have been broken and buried because of Viking attacks in the mid-800s. Today, you can see the Lichfield Angel displayed next to the Lichfield Gospels. These are another important Anglo-Saxon treasure from around the same time.
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What the Angel Looks Like
The Lichfield Angel is carved from limestone and shows the archangel Gabriel. It's part of a larger artwork that is now lost. The three pieces that were found fit together. They measure about 63.5 centimeters (25 inches) tall and 37 centimeters (14.5 inches) wide. The stone is about 10 centimeters (4 inches) thick.
Gabriel is shown with wings and a halo. He is raising his right hand in a blessing. In his left hand, he holds a staff with plants growing from it. Gabriel looks like he is stepping down. His left foot is on the ground, and his right foot is lifting from a vine. This vine might represent paradise. Gabriel's eyes have deep holes, which might have held precious stones.
How the Angel Was Found and Saved
The Lichfield Angel was found during a dig in 2003. This dig happened before a new altar platform was built in the nave of Lichfield Cathedral. The dig was led by an archaeologist named Warwick Rodwell. Before this, not much was known about the old parts of the nave.
The dig uncovered parts of the original Anglo-Saxon cathedral. They also found pieces of the Norman-era nave and many buried items. A sunken room was found to the east of the nave. Writings from a historian named Bede helped experts figure out that this was once a shrine to Chad of Mercia, a saint from the 600s.
The Lichfield Angel was found inside a burned building that was part of a larger Anglo-Saxon structure. It was broken into three pieces. The two main pieces were placed face-down on rubble. This was likely done as a sign of respect. This careful placement helped to save the original colors, which are still very bright for an old stone sculpture. The third piece, which was part of the angel's left leg, was found face-up. It was more worn and had less color left.
A silver coin from King Edgar (who ruled from 959 to 975) was found near the carving. This suggests the angel was buried before the end of the 900s. After the dig, the area was refilled, and the new altar platform was built.
Experts met in 2004 to talk about how to care for the angel. They decided to do a detailed study of the pieces before cleaning and displaying them. Laser scans were made of the fragments. This allowed experts to put them together digitally without touching the real pieces. Some cleaning was done, but some dirt was stuck so strongly that removing it might have damaged the remaining paint.
The Lichfield Angel was first shown at the cathedral in February 2006. The pieces were taken away for more study and care in March 2006. They came back to the cathedral in June 2007. Since 2009, the angel has been displayed reassembled. You can see it next to the Lichfield Gospels, another important Anglo-Saxon book.
What We Learned from the Angel
Where the Angel Came From
The pieces of the Lichfield Angel are thought to be the left side of a "house-shaped" end piece. This piece was part of a shrine that held the coffin of St Chad. We know it's Gabriel because of his pose and what he's doing. The full sculpture probably showed Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary that she would have Jesus. Lichfield Cathedral is dedicated to both St Chad and Mary. The part of the sculpture showing Mary might still be buried under the cathedral floor.
The carving was made in Mercia especially for Lichfield Cathedral. The style of the carving suggests the artist was influenced by art from the Eastern Mediterranean from the 500s. It was made around the late 700s, near the end of the rule of Offa of Mercia. At that time, Lichfield was a very important religious center in England. The story of St Chad, who was the first bishop in Lichfield, was very popular in the early 800s. So, the shrine and the angel carving might have been made to honor him.
How the Angel Was Decorated
Scientists studied the tiny bits of paint left on the angel. They found that Gabriel's robes were painted with a mix of red and yellow. White paint was used to show the folds in his clothes. This would have made his robes look like "red gold," which was a very valuable metal in Anglo-Saxon times. The artist used layers and mixed paints to create different colors, highlights, and shadows.
Gabriel's wings were red in the shadows, pink in the main parts (with yellow mixed in), and white for highlights. His hair was blonde, and the inside of his halo was a darker yellow. Gabriel's hands, feet, and face were painted in a skin tone. His lips and nostrils were outlined in black. The background was white with a red border. The vine was red, and its buds were yellow. These colors are similar to those seen in the Lichfield Gospels. This might have been a way of "branding" Mercian art. The red and yellow paints came from iron, the white from chalk and lead, and the black from carbon.
The outer part of the halo was covered with a special layer. This layer might have been for applying gilding, which is a thin layer of gold. No gold is left on the angel, but a tiny piece was found nearby during the dig. The deep holes in Gabriel's eyes might have been for putting precious stones in them. However, no glue was found, so they might have been left empty.
Why the Angel Was Buried
The carving has a mark from a hammer and chisel on its right side. This shows that it was broken on purpose, not by accident. Experts think this happened sometime between the Viking raids on Mercia in the mid-800s and the cathedral's repair in the early 900s. Lichfield Cathedral was captured by Vikings. Many of the cathedral's treasures were moved to Wales in the mid-800s to keep them safe.
The Lichfield Angel is a rare example of painted Anglo-Saxon stone sculpture that still exists. Experts like Rosemary Cramp and Jane Hawkes have called the Lichfield Angel "a remarkable survival." They say it's important for all of Europe when you think about early medieval sculpture. They also say the carving is very well made. It was saved from damage because it was carefully buried.
