{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O110501"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O110501/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BA1550/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BA1550/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BA1550","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BA1549","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KX5017","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019ME7192","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O110501/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O110501","accessionNumber":"M.340-1956","objectType":"Cross","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The cross is the central emblem of Christianity and the symbol of Christ’s Crucifixion. It first appeared about 350, possibly for use in private prayer. Until about 1000 the custom was to suspend a cross above the altar, or to place it alongside, but later the cross was generally put directly on the altar. Crosses were also carried in procession before a service, and on ceremonial occasions such as funerals. In early times, people held them in their hand, but later they raised them high on poles. \r\n\r\nBoth altar and processional crosses were generally made of precious or gilded metal, or ivory, and decorated with gems or enamel. From about 800 they bore the image of the crucified Christ and became known as crucifixes. By about 1100 the imagery of European crosses had become established. It usually included the symbols of the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), often with the Virgin Mary and St John flanking the figure of Christ crucified.\r\n\r\nIn this example, the enamels on the front show the symbols, the lion, ox, eagle and winged man, of the Evangelists, surrounding the missing figure of the crucified Christ. On the back is the Resurrection, with other scenes from the life of Christ and the archangel St Michael at the top. The armour worn by the soldiers helps to indicate the date of the cross.","physicalDescription":"The cross comprises a wooden core applied with embossed plaques of gilded silver and quatrefoil silver plaques with enamelling. The detachable socket, of silver, is hexagonal in form with pierced moulding at the top and bottom. This socket is not original to the cross.\r\nOn the front of the cross the central plaque depicts a cruciform nimbus in red enamel (for the crucified figure of Christ, now lost). The nimbus is surrounded by the sun, moon, and eighteen stars. On each arm are quatrefoil plaques displaying the symbols of the Evangelists, clockwise from top: an angel for St. Matthew; a winged lion for St. Mark; an eagle for St. John; and winged ox for St. Luke.\r\nOn the reverse, the central plaque shows the Resurrection (with a vine pattern in the dark blue sky). The quatrefoils on each arm depict, clockwise from top: St. Michael Archangel slaying a dragon (Satan); the Annunciation; Christ in Majesty; the Adoration of the Magi.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"},{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"}],"techniques":[{"text":"enamelling","id":"x37485"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"},{"text":"embossing","id":"AAT53826"},{"text":"","id":""}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wood, silver, enamel, gilding","categories":[{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006BA1550","2006BA1549","2018KX5017","2019ME7192"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"84","id":"THES49710"},"free":"","case":"CA4","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cross","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Tarragona","id":"x33135"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1375-1400","earliest":"1375-01-01","latest":"1400-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"M.307-1956","id":"O378838"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Dr W.L. Hildburgh Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"51","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Height of the cross (excluding added socket)","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"41","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Arm span of the cross","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"17","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Removable hexagonal section","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Depth at bottom of hexagonal section","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"3.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Depth of the cross, front to back","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"The letters 'TARA' in a rectangular punch, the assay mark of Tarragona. There are six marks in all: two on the front, on the left and lower arms of the cross, three on the back, on the lower, left and upper arms of the cross, and one mark on the lower right side.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"A crowned 'M' with a star; the letter ?A over two other letters in a shaped punch, both marks struck on the socket, possibly town and maker's marks.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"The symbols of the Evangelists are identified by inscriptions:\nS: MATEUS\nS: IHOA [NES] - the engraver has transposed the 'H' and 'O', and missed a stroke from the upper compartment of the letter 'A'\nS: MARC [US]\nS: LUCAS","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"This was probably a processional cross, but as the original knop is missing this cannot be confirmed absolutely (see Dalmases: 1992, I, p.91). The form of the cross, with its arms terminating in a fleur-de-lis shape, indicates a late-fourteenth or early-fifteenth-century date. The circular scrolls of foliage embossed on the silver plaques at the ends of the arms of the cross suggest this dating can be narrowed to around 1400 (compare with another V&amp;A cross, M.307-1956: see Dalmases: 1992, I, no. 24). The cross has silver plaques, engraved and enamelled, on both sides at the end of each arm and in the centre. The choice of iconography is, in some ways, unusual. Many surviving crucifixes of this period from Catalonia incorporate scenes related to Christ's Passion (Martínez Subias: 1988, pp. 62-65). This example, on the other hand, emphasises the elements of redemption and rebirth in Christ's sacrifice, and has plaques on the reverse that depict the Annunciation, Christ's birth and His Resurrection. The plaque depicting St Michael Archangel may be a reference to the patron saint of a particular church but if so, it is impossible to establish which one without further evidence as there are a number of churches in Tarragona devoted to St Michael. The front of the cross would have had a cast figure of the crucified Christ applied over the central plaque depicting His nimbus. As on other crosses of the period, the symbols of the four Evangelists are on the surrounding plaques. The original positions of the plaques on both sides of the cross have been changed. On the reverse, Christ in Majesty should be switched with St Michael Archangel, and the Adoration of the Magi should be where the Annunciation is now positioned; on the front, the symbol of St John should be on the upper arm and that of St Matthew on the lower one.\nA number of medieval crosses from Tarragona survive (Martínez Subias: 1988, pp. 62-3). This example has been described as typical of workshop production from the area and has been linked to three other crosses with similar town marks for the Tarragona assay office (Guidol i Cunill: 1915-20, pp. 338-9; Dalmases: 1992, I, p. 100). None of these other crosses shares the redemptive iconography of the V&amp;A one although similar plaques depicting Christ's nimbus are found on two other crosses. One of these, from Falset, is part of the group marked for Tarragona (Dalmases: 1992, p. 100; Guidol i Cunill: 1915-20, fig. 63). The other is on a cross of around 1400 marked for Montblanc (in the province of Tarragona: see Martínez Subias: 1988, no. 31.7 and fig. 125).\nThe collector and Museum benefactor W. L. Hildburgh acquired the cross in Paris in 1930; it entered the Museum collections as part of his bequest in 1956.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver-gilt and enamel, Spain (Tarragona), last quarter of the 14th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Oman, Charles. <u>The Golden Age of Hispanic Silver 1400-1665.</u> London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1968."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Tabuert-Delahaye, Elisabeth. <u>L'Orfèvrerie Gothique (XIII - début XV siècle) au Musée de Cluny: Catalogue.</u> Paris: Éditions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, 1989, p. 203."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Martínez Subías, Antonio. <u> La platería gótica en Tarragona y provincia: tiplogía, catálogo, punzones.</u> Tarragona: Excma. Diputació de Tarragona, 1988. ISBN 8400068467 9788400068462"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Dalmases, Núria de. <u>Orfebreria catalana medieval: Barcelona 1300-1500  (aproximació a l'estudi)</u>. 2 vols. Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans, 1992.  ISBN 8472832171 (set)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Guidol i Cunill. J. Les creus d'argenteria a Catalunya. <u>Anuari de l'Institut d'Estudis Catalans. Anuari MCMXV - XX</u>. vol. 6. pp. 265-422."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Réau, Louis. <u>Iconografía del Arte Cristiano. Iconografía de la Biblia, Nuevo Testamento</u>. Tomo I, Vol. 2. (Barcelona: Ediciones del Serbal, 1996)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Carmona Muela, Juan. <u>Iconografía de los Santos</u>. Akal Básica de Bolsillo, 154. (Madrid: Akal, 2017)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Altar or Processional Cross\r\nThe cross is the central emblem of Christianity and the symbol of Christ's Crucifixion. It first appeared about 350, possibly for use in private prayer. Until about 1000 the custom was to suspend a cross above the altar, or to place it alongside, but later the cross was generally put directly on the altar. Crosses were also carried in procession before a service, and on ceremonial occasions such as funerals. In early times, people held them in their hand, but later they raised them high on poles. \r\n\r\nBoth altar and processional crosses were generally made of precious or gilded metal, or ivory, and decorated with gems or enamel. From about 800 they bore the image of the crucified Christ and became known as crucifixes. By about 1100 the imagery of European crosses had become established. It usually included the symbols of the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), often with the Virgin Mary and St John flanking the cross.\r\n\r\nIn this example, the enamels on the front show the symbols, the lion, ox, eagle and winged man, of the Evangelists, surrounding the missing figure of the crucified Christ. On the back is the Resurrection, with other scenes from the life of Christ and the archangel St Michael at the top. The armour worn by the soldiers helps to indicate the date of the cross.\r\n\r\nTarragona, Spain, about 1380-1400\r\nSilver gilt on wood, with translucent enamel\r\nMuseum no. M.340-1956. Hildburgh Bequest  (7)","date":{"text":"22/11/2005","earliest":"2005-11-22","latest":"2005-11-22"}}],"partNumbers":["M.340-1956"],"accessionNumberNum":"340","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1956,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-14","recordCreationDate":"2005-03-18","availableToBook":false}}