Browse Items (91 total)

The delicately carved archer on the lid of this cross probably represents a figure from the Old Testament: Ishmael, son of Abraham. The reverse shows the Lamb of God surrounded by the four symbols of the evangelists. The cross originally formed a…

AN00739927_001_l. Plaque; ivory; mandorla-shaped; raised rim; carved with Christ in Majesty seated on rainbow, blessing and holding book; two pairs of attachment holes; plain reverse; chipped right-hand edge. All these images are © Trustees of the…

2006AD1299_jpg_l. This is a head of an Anglo-Saxon tau cross in walrus ivory. The tau cross is a form of crozier head, named for its shape after the Greek letter T. The winged seraph is a reference to the vision of Isaiah in which singed seraphim…

Ashmolean Museum inventory no. AN1909.453. Gold, garnet. Mid 7th century. The central roundel is divided into concentric rings, comprised of rectangular and T-shaped cloisonné work cells. The flared arms of the cross comprise a central panel divided…

2006AD3413_jpg_l. This handle of a knife or dagger was made in Anglo-Saxon England, probably in the 10th to the 11th century. It is carved in bone and decorated with pierced scrolls and animals. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert…

The granite shaft is decorated with simple interlaced patterns, broadly datable to the 10th or 11th centuries. It would formerly have been surmounted by a head in the form of a cross. Six such cross-shafts survive in Devon, the others being at…

In the church of Kirkby Stephen (Cumbria) is a stone carved in relief with an image of the Norse god Loki, a horned figure bound in chains. I have read that Anglo-Saxon Christians may have made this carving to demonstrate their dominion over Norse…

2007BM3751_jpg_l. The Milton Jewel is one of the finest examples of Anglo-Saxon brooches of the period, with a sophisticated design carried out in a combination of materials. The use of cloisons inlaid with garnet, filigree knot work decoration on…

AN00015552_001_l. Necklace strung with an alternating sequence of irregular gold and cabochon garnet pendants, gold 'bullae' and biconical gold wire spacer beads. At the centre, flanked by small biconical beads, hangs an equal-armed cross; at either…

2009CA7155_jpg_l. Pectoral crosses were worn on a chain or cord around the neck, and acted as charms to protect the wearer. The pectoral cross was commonly worn by bishops and abbots in the medieval period. The figure style and the particular…