medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Chris Daniell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>I am interested in the use of censers in Late Antiquity and the Middle
Ages. In some Byzantine examples the chain of the censer appears to be very
short (about 6 inches or so) which doesn't fit into my mental view
(admittedly Late Medieval) of long-chained censers being swung almost at
floor level.
>An image of a short-suspension chained censer being carried occurs in
the mosiacs in Ravenna (Emperor Justinian) - the man at the far right.
http://www.ub.uio.no/uhs/ombibl/Sophus/Utstillinger/Mosaikker/Images/003%
20Ravenna%20SVitale%20Justinian.jpg
>Does anyone know if these short-suspension chained censers would have been
swung, or just carried,
unencumbered with any actual knowledge of the subject, it looks to me like the
San Vitale on was not meant to be swung : a short chain, an apparently open,
unlidded burning chamber, and note the legs --it also worked when resting on a
flat surface.
looks to me like he's just carrying it, persuant to setting it down
somewhere.
>when did the lengthening of the chains come about and why (a liturgical
change?)?
compare the S.V. example with this one, from the early 13th c. Thomas Becket
window at Chartres :
http://www.ariadne.org/centrechartraine/glass/thomasangel-s.jpg
the chain is longer (though perhaps not a long as they got later), there's a
top, to keep the burning embers from spilling out, and it is being swung,
rather vigorously at that.
of course, there is a "foot" for resting it on a surface --so that clue is not
worth much, i suppose.
(the object in the angel's other hand appears to be a collection plate full of
the coin offerings made to Thomas' tomb.)
but, from my memory, this type of censer is pretty common in the High M.A.
looks like there may have been a symbiotic relationship between "styles" of
censers and their liturgical use --hard not to believe that the S.V. guy
didn't want to give his a good swinging, that the form developed from this
natural tendancy, and that the liturgical use followed suit.
a bit too evolutionarily mechanistic, that explanation, however.
i had never noticed the one in the S.V. mosaic before.
best from here,
christopher
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