medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: John Dillon <[log in to unmask]>
> In 2003, excavations beneath Lichfield Cathedral revealed remains of its
early eighth-century predecessor, including a sunken chamber thought to have
been the site of C.'s first shrine. Recovered were three fragments of a
carved limestone panel depicting an angel, some of whose red polychromy was
still visible.
given the extraordinarily high quality of this sculpture
http://www.lichfield-angel.net/file.php?file=/1/Recording/Imaging/Assembled_panel/LichfieldAngel_20060125_panel.jpg
the quite extensive site
http://www.lichfield-angel.net/
devoted to this find is well worth a look.
there are multiple .pdf files describing (and illustrating), among other
things:
--Physical History
--Historical Context
--Condition Assessment
--Scientific Examination
--Report on the discovery and excavation of the Angel Report on the discovery
and excavation of the Lichfield Angel by Warwick Rodwell, Cathedral
Archaeologist.
--Report on the Art Historical Context of the Angel Report by Professor
Rosemary Cramp on the art historical context of the Angel.
--Technical report on the polychromy Emily Howe's report on the polychromy of
the Angel
--Interactive 3D models of assembled panel
i don't think i have seen a more comprehensive site devoted to a single
artifact, and with good reason.
the date of the piece may be debated within a couple of centuries, but the
_terminus ante_ seems to be fixed by the stratigraphy:
"...there is no doubt that the sculpture was buried in the pre-Norman
era. A further piece of supportive evidence comes from a small circular pit or
posthole which clipped the southern edge of the sculpture pit: it yielded a
silver penny of King Edgar (957-975) in near-mint condition. This points to
the likelihood that the sculpture was buried no later than the tenth
century."
if one thinks of what stone sculpture [sic] looked like in the late 8th
through late 10th centuries the truly extraordinary quality of the Lichfield
angel really stands out in contrast.
in her arthisorical analysis, Rosemary Cramp makes a pretty good case for a
date during the reign of King Offa (757-796):
"...the period of the late eighth /early ninth seems the most likely date for
this piece."
quite amazing, really, the idea that the Dangleterrians could have produced a
figurative relief of this high quality a generation before, say, the Godescalc
Gospels of Charlemagne's court.
c
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