Medieval Treasure

One of the highlights of the Cleveland Museum of Art's extensive collection of medieval art is this showcase containing objects from the Guelph Treasure.

Count Lludolf of Brunswick built the Church of St. Blaise as his burial place.  After his death in 1038, his widow Gertrude donated several relics and liturgical objects to the church.  Later the Guelph family became the rulers of Saxony and made Brunswick (or Braunschweig) their capital.  Through the generations, the Guelph rulers added to the church treasure, and by the 15th century a total of 138 objects comprised the "Guelph Treasure".  In the 17th century the treasure passed into the hands of the Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneberg.  In 1930 Duke Ernst August sold the remaining 82 pieces to a group of art dealers.  The Cleveland Museum of Art was fortunate enough to be able to purchase some of the oldest and most important objects from the collection.

This portable altar belonged to Countess Gertrude and is one of the original objects donated to the church after her husband's death in 1038.  The wooden core is covered with gold, enamel and gem stones.  The carvings represent Christ, the Virgin, and numerous historical members of royalty that the Countess claimed were a part of her lineage.

This horn made from an elephant's tusk is called the Horn of St. Blaise.  It is decorated with bands of carvings portraying hunting scenes.  It was probably made by Arab craftsmen in Sicily or Southern Italy in the 12th or 13th century.  However, the church later claimed that it had belonged to St. Blaise, a 4th century saint from Armenia, and that he had used the horn to call the faithful to worship.

This ceremonial cross of was commissioned by Countess Gertrude after her husband's death.  The large gemstone in the center is a sapphire, and the plaques on the four arms represent the four Evangelists.

This similar cross was also a gift from Countess Gertrude.  Concealed behind the plaque on the upper arm there are supposedly relics from St. Valerius and St. Pancratius and a fragment from the stone which sealed the tomb of Jesus.

This gilded silver and rock crystal monstrance dates from 1484.  A monstrance is used to show either the consecrated bread of the Eucharist or the relic of a saint.  In this case, the rock crystal vessel supposedly contains a fragment of a bone of St. Sebastian.  Analysis of the bone concluded that it is a piece of human metatarsal (foot) bone.

This monstrance, also of gilded silver and rock crystal, was made in 1350 and is designed as a miniature piece of Gothic architecture.  In the center is a paten (a dish for holding the consecrated bread) made in 1180 and with the image of St. Bernard.  In the gable there is supposedly a fragment of the True Cross... the cross on which Jesus was crucified.  (I say "supposedly" with all these relics because in the 11th century there was a flourishing business of forged relics.)

This magnificent reliquary (an object made to contain a holy relic) is of gilt silver and enamel over a core of oak and dates from around 1190.  It supposedly contains the arm bone of an unidentified apostle.  The relic was probably obtained by Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony, a patron of the church.  He was given several relics by the Byzantine Emperor on his return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

This reliquary in the shape of a book supposed contains a page from each of the four original Gospels, and the relics of 11,000 virgins and four other saints. (!)  The relics are in a cavity behind the ivory plaque which dates from around A.D. 1000.  The frame surrounding it was made around 1340 and is sumptuously studded with precious gems.

 

I have still more pictures to show you in future posts from the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection of medieval art.   Due to the surging number of cases of COVID in Ohio, the museum is once again closed.  I don't know when I will be able to visit again, but hopefully you are vicariously enjoying the museum through my photos.