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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Curiosity had me Googling, with this popping up: http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/features/f0294-2000-year-old-warrior-armour-made-of-reindeer-antlers-found-on-the-arctic-circle/ --also this bit from Wikipedia (for what it's worth), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antler: Carving for decorative and tool uses A German powder flask made from a red deer antler, c.1570. Wallace Collection, London (2010) Antler has been used through history as a material to make tools, weapons, ornaments, and toys.[28] It was an especially important material in the European Late Paleolithic, used by the Magdalenian culture to make carvings and engraved designs on objects such as the so-called Bāton de commandements and the Bison Licking Insect Bite. In the Viking Age and medieval period, it formed an important raw material in the craft of comb-making. In later periods, antler - used as a cheap substitute for ivory - was a material especially associated with equipment for hunting, such as saddles and horse harness, guns and daggers, powder flasks, as well as buttons and the like. The decorative display of wall-mounted pairs of antlers has been popular since medieval times at least.[citation needed] Through history large deer antler from a suitable species (e.g. red deer) were often cut down to its shaft and its lowest tine and used as a one-pointed pickax.[29][30] --and some images, though mostly too early or too late: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Objects_made_of_antler I think that you will get further if you think of the imagery on the "shield" as a C11-12 inhabited scroll, rather than looking back at early medieval animal interlace. Here's an example: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O93335/horn/ Also, I'm not sure how strong elk antler is; you will want to check on that if pursuing the notion of a stool. best, Genevra On 4/24/2018 11:23 AM, Gross-Diaz, Theresa wrote: > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > > ---I meant to add: another reason I love the footstool idea is that > all the animal carvings on the prongs would be oriented upwards if the > thing were positioned as a footstool. It makes sense that way up. > > TGD > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval > religious culture <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of > Gross-Diaz, Theresa <[log in to unmask]> > *Sent:* Tuesday, April 24, 2018 9:53 AM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: [M-R] 11-12C antler shield > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > > Thanks for the imaginative reply - I would never have though of > "footstool" but I love that idea. There are indeed no marks on the > back (or underside) of any sort (just two paper museum tags). That's > one of the reasons I know it's not a "shield" - how would one hold it? > > I'm intrigued by the "Celtic/Norse" idea for the decor. The animal > itself was apparently still to be found in the wild in eastern Germany > and northerly lands by the 11C, though of course an antler could > have been traded or gifted hundreds of miles away. I was rather > thinking that the carving looked somewhat Italianate -- this is just > an impression, as I compare it to carved horn and bone objects from > the era. And my eye (and the rest of me) is untrained in art history. > > But I am going to pursue this. > > Richard, If I publish the results, I will happily credit you with the > footstool idea! > > Grateful for this group, > > Theresa > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval > religious culture <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of > Richard Legault <[log in to unmask]> > *Sent:* Tuesday, April 24, 2018 7:17 AM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: [M-R] 11-12C antler shield > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > Theresa, what a wonderful puzzle. > > I too think the object may be mis-identified as a shield. But if not a > shield, then what? > > Here is my take. > > The tips of the tines have clearly been rounded and smoothed as might > the feet of a footstool or one element of a multi-part pedestal for a > table or chair. The first and third tines from the right are broken > and fail to touch the white background surface. Were these tines > originally rounded and smoothed to meet a flat surface as most of the > others do? The decorated edge and smooth tines indicates to me the > object was crafted to stand upon the tines and be seen as displayed in > the photo. I'm assuming here, for no good reason, that there are no > decoration or joinery or fastener marks on the underside. > > The decoration looks rather Celtic or Norse to me. It includes mostly > foliage, snakes and birds but there are also several four-footed > mammals, standing and crouching, that could be canine or feline. There > are also some disembodied heads of the same canine or feline type. The > one above the second tine from the left looks rather leonine to me, > standing in the posture known to heraldry as "/lion passant gardant/", > though it has its left paw raised rather than the more usual right. Is > this lion an indicator of royalty? > > If I, as an utterly unqualified amateur, had to guess, I'd call this > object a footstool, possibly from the furnishings of some Northern > European royal hunting lodge. > > Cheers, > > Richard J Legault > > > On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 2:44 PM, Genevra Kornbluth > <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: > > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and > culture > Is this the object you mean? > https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/BK-16990 > <https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/BK-16990> > I wonder why they call it a shield, even with the modifier > "ceremonial". There is lots of scholarship on shields (especially > in the earlier period I work on), but it's hard to see how any of > that could apply here. > I suppose that it could belong in a category with some of the > parade helmets that are based on a helmet form, but clearly not > practical protective devices. There are some Roman ones here: > www.kornbluthphoto.com/Helmets.html > <http://www.kornbluthphoto.com/Helmets.html> > And much later, one of the all-time greats: > https://blog.royalarmouries.org/2017/09/11/the-must-see-objects-of-the-tudor-court-in-the-royal-armouries-collection/ > <https://blog.royalarmouries.org/2017/09/11/the-must-see-objects-of-the-tudor-court-in-the-royal-armouries-collection/> > best, > Genevra > > On 4/23/2018 1:22 PM, Gross-Diaz, Theresa wrote: >> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and >> culture >> >> Greetings colleagues, >> >> This is not a question that is really medieval-_religion_ based, >> but among you there may be someone with vast knowledge on this! >> >> I am looking for information on the magnificent elk-antler >> "ceremonial shield" at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Object # BK-16990 >> >> I have noted the bibliography that the Rijksmuseum lists, but it >> underwhelming regarding information on the object (list is >> heavily skewed to provenance history -- interesting, but doesn't >> help me). >> >> I am having trouble locating info on this object, or on _parallels_. >> >> I've looked into the burial of Louis the Pious, whose shield this >> was once purported to be, but since the shield is certainly >> later, this really doesn't help. >> >> I have a bit of bibliog on _early_ Anglo-Saxon shields, but these >> are also of dubious value regarding this 11-12C object. >> >> How unique is this thing? Where can I look for context? How would >> a shield be used in what sort of ceremony? >> >> I'd be so grateful for any suggestions. I'm just mesmerized by >> this object. >> >> Theresa >> >> Theresa Gross-Diaz >> >> Loyola University Chicago >> >> >> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> >> Virus-free. www.avg.com >> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> >> >> >> ********************************************************************** >> To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion >> YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] >> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To send a message to the list, >> address it to: [log in to unmask] >> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To leave the list, send >> the message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: >> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> In order >> to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: >> [log in to unmask] >> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> For further >> information, visit our web site: >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion >> <http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion> > ********************************************************************** > To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion > YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To send a message to the list, > address it to: [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To leave the list, send > the message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: > [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> In order > to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> For further > information, visit our web site: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion > <http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion> > > > ********************************************************************** > To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR > NAME to: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To > send a message to the list, address it to: > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To leave the list, send the > message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> In order to report problems or to > contact the list's owners, write to: > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> For further > information, visit our web site: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion > ********************************************************************** > To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR > NAME to: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To > send a message to the list, address it to: > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To leave the list, send the > message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> In order to report problems or to > contact the list's owners, write to: > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> For further > information, visit our web site: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion > ********************************************************************** > To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR > NAME to: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To > send a message to the list, address it to: > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To leave the list, send the > message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> In order to report problems or to > contact the list's owners, write to: > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> For further > information, visit our web site: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion