medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Possible use as a saddle makes a certain amount of sense. That too would put the carvings the right way up and also be consistent with the smoothly rounded tips of the tines. It would also explain the unadorned 'seat' of the antler.  Just thinking along these lines gives me pause when I consider that in saddlery, the thingy on top of the pommel is called a horn.

If it was intended as a saddle, however, I don't see that it got much use because from the photo I can't see that the 'seat' and border carvings show any differential wear and tear in the places you would expect abrasion from a rider's buttocks and legs.

All things considered, I think I'll stick with footstool as my preferred guess. I can attribute the broken tines to a heavy footed Dane. Moreover the obvious fragility of the tines in this sort of use makes the designer a victim of a good idea that did not work very well. Which is probably why we don't see a lot of Elk Antler footstools...

I'd better stop now. This is way too much fun.

Cheers,

Richard J Legault





On Tue, Apr 24, 2018 at 12:21 PM, Gross-Diaz, Theresa <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

That's another useful way to come at this, and one of the reasons I was hoping to find some parallels to this object. I've seen so many oliphants and other horn and ivory objects, but the only thing I've seen that really maintains the shape of the natural object is narwhal ("unicorn") horns like the one at Musee Cluny (associated with the abbey of S Denis). There are a few of those: I've never seen another antler like this one. I've also been looking at bestiaries, though those have not helped much with moose/elk specifically (since in the bestiaries they are generically "deer"). The deer in the bestiaries have typical moral and typological interpretations, though interestingly they can draw out serpents from their lairs and then either trample them, or swallow them and be regenerated! A neat trick, if you are in the lordship business.

Thanks to all the ideas so far. This has really stimulated my thinking about it.

 TGD

From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture <[log in to unmask]AC.UK> on behalf of James Bugslag <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 10:45 AM
To: [log in to unmask]UK
Subject: Re: [M-R] 11-12C antler shield
 
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

One might add that the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic still make use of antler for artistic purposes, often involving shamanistic beliefs.  In Inuit culture, bone, antler and ivory are considered fundamental components of life, since they are the most long-lasting parts of the body.  One can never rule out residual beliefs like that disappearing completely from medieval European society with the advent of Christianity.

http://wag.ca/art/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/display,exhibition/75/highlights-of-inuit-sculpture

Cheers,

Jim

From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture <[log in to unmask]AC.UK> on behalf of Genevra Kornbluth <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: April 24, 2018 10:32:47 AM
To: [log in to unmask]UK
Subject: Re: [M-R] 11-12C antler shield
 
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 Bâton 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]AC.UK> on behalf of Gross-Diaz, Theresa <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 9:53 AM
To: [log in to unmask]UK
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]AC.UK> on behalf of Richard Legault <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 7:17 AM
To: [log in to unmask]UK
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]> wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Is this the object you mean?
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
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/
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

 


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