Altar Cross

mid-14th century

On View

European: Medieval, Level 2, Central Wing

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Catalogue Raisonné

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Audio Transcript

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About the Artwork

For medieval Christian viewers, rock crystal could symbolize spiritual purity, clarity of vision, or divine light, and it was often used to create holy objects like this altar cross. The expertly carved crystal was secured into gold settings adorned with delicate botanical motifs. At the center of the cross, the reverse side of the crystal was painted with an image of the Annunciation; the archangel Gabriel holds a scroll bearing the abbreviations of the words “Ave Maria Gracia Plena” [Hail Mary, full of grace] as he greets the Virgin Mary. These figures’ wide eyes, sweet faces, and voluminous yet angular robes echo the style of manuscript illuminations from roughly a century earlier, and they may be based on models found in book illustrations.
The gilt copper base of this altar cross displays the coat of arms of Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV (reigned 1328 – 1347), called “The Bavarian” because he descended from the Wittelsbach dukes of Bavaria. The arms of four prominent Bavarian families surround those of the emperor. Louis spent much of his reign defending his imperial crown against competing claimants, and this cross would have declared not only his claim to divine favor but also the support of his noble subjects.

Title Altar Cross

Artwork Date mid-14th century

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. German

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. ----------

Medium Rock crystal cross with gilt copper base and enamelled heraldic devices

Dimensions Overall: 29 × 16 × 7 1/2 inches (73.7 × 40.6 × 19.1 cm)

Classification Metalwork

Department European Sculpture and Dec Arts

Credit City of Detroit Purchase

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 21.197

Markings

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Provenance

(Henri and Max Heilbronner, Berlin, Germany);
1921-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

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Exhibition History

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Published References

Valentiner, W. R. "New Period Rooms," Bulletin of the DIA 3, no. 4 (January 1923): p. 28, 26 (ill.).

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

possibly German, Altar Cross, mid-14th century, rock crystal cross with gilt copper base and enamelled heraldic devices. Detroit Institute of Arts, City of Detroit Purchase, 21.197.