Wow. Saw this stunning object at the V&A in London.
The Eltenberg Reliquary is a magnificent 12th-century masterpiece of Rhenish Romanesque art - 1180 AD.
Probably used to house sacred relics, e.g. the Eucharist.
Has that Byzantine dome, gilded bronze, exquisitely carved ivory ...
It shows how redundant our views of the Middle Ages as the ‘Dark Ages’, as little more than mud and superstition.
Elephant ivory used to depict the Crucifixion.
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete👍😊
DeleteExquisite in detail, a masterpiece of work/
ReplyDeleteIt powerfully illustrates how the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ were in fact capable of extraordinary artistic sophistication and spiritual refinement.
ReplyDeleteYep. The art reflected different times and different priorities.
DeleteJust as with people, "ages" can be stereotyped. The truth is always more complicated, and in this case more ornate.
ReplyDeleteYes. That is true.
DeleteWe're a bit too dismissive of the pre-Renaissance.
That certainly is lovely.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan