medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Well, as a minor DISTAFF flunky <g> I can put in my two cents' worth, though there are certainly others who would be considerably more knowledgeable.
Christopher wrote:
>as it happens, i've recently been trying to identify a very curious element
>found on a bit of 12th century sculpture.
>
>it is, apparently, some sort of "utilitarian" object, not a "decorative" one.
>
>among the extraordinary, very high quality sculptures found in excavations
>from the church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, is a large (73cn high)
>fragment of a torso of St. Peter (identifiable by his keys and church) :
>
>http://www.christophersbookroom.com/cc/nazareth/bagatti/colfigs/bagatti-pl42.jpg
>
>http://www.christophersbookroom.com/cc/nazareth/bagatti/colfigs/bagatti-pl43-3.jpg
>
>he wears a cord-belt, below and to the left of the knot of which is suspended
>this curious object, carved in low relief on the smooth area of the fabric
>just there :
>
>http://www.christophersbookroom.com/cc/nazareth/bagatti/colfigs/bagatti-pl43-4.jpg
>
>it appears to be some sort of "heart-shaped" object, suspended from a wound
>cord smaller in diameter than the cord which serves as Peter's belt.
Hmmmmmm. <strokes chin thoughtfully><grin>
If it weren't for the very small scale of this object in relation to the figure as a whole, my first guess would be a fan. You can still buy plaited palm-leaf fans of this shape in import stores. At the size it is, though, it looks more like a tiny pouch or pendant of some kind. I'll be interested to see what Susan Carroll-Clark can come up with.
>to the right of it is something else which i can't quite make out: perhaps a
>thin leather(?) strap, looped in a half-hitch around the belt at the top and
>ending in a series of regularly punched holes.
>
>is there something suspended from it, just where the punched holes begin?
>
>what *are* these objects ??
The fact that the heart-shaped object doesn't show at all on the right side of the "strap", along with the other markings on that side, suggest to me that we might be looking at the left-hand edge of a flat trapezoidal pouch. (The shape looks rather like one of those modern four-sided metal cheese graters, though I can't imagine why St. Peter would have such a thing.)
There's a short horizontal strip near the top that might be part of the pouch's opening, some vague suggestions of pattern on the stone between the strap and the folds of the garment that might represent the surface of the pouch (a fancy fabric perhaps?) and if I use my imagination, perhaps some froufy bits to the right of the bottom end of the strap that could represent tassels or fringe.
It's a bit odd for a pouch, especially since it seems to be hanging straight up and down while suspended only from its top left-hand corner, but that's my best guess at the moment.
These both look to me like additions by a later hand than the original sculptor -- different technique and all that. Is that likely? If so, it might explain some of the peculiarities (including the small scale).
BTW, this gives me an occasion to mention that DISTAFF will be holding an open "gallery" at Kalamazoo this year, featuring the work of several people who have made careful replicas of a number of medieval artifacts, including purses, tablet-weaving and other textiles and accessories. Someone will also be demonstrating a warp-weighted loom. I'll be there with my replica paternosters and rosaries, and would be delighted to see everyone and put names to faces. I believe they have us scheduled in one of the larger rooms in Fetzer on the Friday evening.
____________________________________________________________
0 Chris Laning
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+ Davis, California
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