Plaque
Art history
2009CA7152_jpg_l. The Virgin is shown seated on a rainbow like arc within a mandorla. In her right hand she holds a sceptre in the form of a branch, in her left a book, and she supports the Christ Child on her lap. The zigzagging line of the Virgin's robe is typical of artworks produced in England, and particularly at Winchester. The Virgin and Child relief is clearly extremely closely related in style, shape and size to V&A Inv. no A.32-1928. Both pieces were in all likelihood produced in the same workshop. This plaque appears to have been made for a grander, possibly jewelled setting, and was embellished with gold rather than paint. It is certainly accidental that the two plaques have been damaged in identical fashion on the left side, indicative of being roughly torn off from their original setting, and both appeared on the art market within a decade of one another in around 1920, probably from a French source. They perhaps came from two related manuscripts kept in the same continental monastic library.
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
1000-1020
Box (for host)
Art history
2009CB5776_jpg_l. Boxes like this are known to have been kept in cathedral treasuries. They were probably used as containers for the host (the consecrated bread) and the material reflects their important function. The unique narrative images at the box have challenged an acceptable interpretation of the subject matter. The narrative appears to represent a relatively obscure story. The narrative may most plausibly be interpreted as showing the use of a grand chalice by an abbot, the discovery of its theft, and the confession and prostration of the guilty monk before the abbot, with the hidden chalice finally revealed behind the latter. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
11th century
Pectoral Cross
Art history
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 iconographic feature of the Dextera Dei also link the cross with monumental pre-Conquest stone sculptures, such as Stepney and Romsey, datable to the late 10th or early 11th century. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
10th/11th century
Crucifixion Panel
Art history
2006AM6059_jpg_l. This panel representing the Crucifixion was probably made in the late 10th century or early 11th century in England. The representation of the Crucifixion with Longinus and Stephaton alone, without the Virgin and St. John, as on this panel, is not common on ivories of the tenth or twelfth centuries. The composition of this panel is characteristic of the representations in Celtic art. A unique feature would be that the nimbi are given to Longinus and Stephaton. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
10th/11th century
Ring
Art history
2008BT1827_jpg_l. The inlaid gold and filigree jewellery of the seventh century was largely replaced in the early eighth century by silver work as a consequence of the increasing scarcity of gold. The focus on silver gave rise to new decorative schemes: the material lent itself to different techniques such as repoussé, chip carving and the openwork seen on the present ring. The growth in popularity of these decorative techniques was accompanied by a distinctive development of zoomorphic style, characterised by lively beasts, interlaced meshes and speckled surfaces, all of which are present in the central roundel of this ring. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
775-850
Easby Cross
Archaeology
2008BV1261_jpg_l. The monumental free standing cross was a phenomenon unique to the British Isles and Ireland, and this is one of the finest surviving examples. Carved with great skill, the decoration unites interlace patterns of the British Isles with imagery derived from mainland Europe, such as the pecking bird and the figures of the apostles. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
800-820
Comb
Archaeology
2009CA7127_jpg_l. This is an Anglo-Saxon comb probably made in the 8th - 9th century. This comb is in bone with a single row of teeth, the top arched and terminating in recurved dragon heads. On each side are pierced bone plates incised with circles and fastened together with copper pins. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
8th/9th century
Brooch
Art history
2007BM3753_jpg_l. The ornate and colourful decoration on this brooch consists of cloisons (cells) inlaid with garnets and blue glass paste. The front is further enriched with filigree wires. The garnets themselves were possibly obtained by sea trade from India. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
600-700
Milton Jewel
Archaeology
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 gold sheet and shell bosses are typical of this type. The brooch was found in 1832 in a cemetery at Milton, west of Dorchester-on-Thames. All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
600-700
Ivory Tau Cross Head
Art history
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 adore God enthroned. This apocalyptic image links to the decoration of the other side, where the Agnus Dei evokes both the Eucharistic and Apocalyptic Lamb (John 1:29; Revelations 5:6-12). All these images are © V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the museum's Terms and Conditions (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/information/information_termsandconditions). The full image collection is available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk and http://collections.vam.ac.uk/ where you can also order high resolution copies.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
1000-1020