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- Merovingian Looped Fibula
- Era: Migration, mid 6th century
- Location: Jouy-le-Comte, France
- Techniques:
- silver gilt in filigree with inlays of garnets and other stones
- larger than most fibulas
- prestige ornaments
- typically made of bronze silver or gold
- worn by both men and women
- found buried with women
- fastened clothing
- covered with decorative patterns curved to fit its shape
- organic quality
- zoomorphic forms, almost abstract, not easy to find
- stylized eagles' heads with red garnets as eyes
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- Purse Cover from Sutton Hoo
- Era: Migration, 655
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Techniques:
- made of gold, glass, and enamel cloisonne
- inlaid garnets and emerald
- abstract designs and zoomorphic forms
- 4 symmetrical groupings on bottom
- - end groupings - man between two beast, frontal man, beasts in profile
- - themes ~ man-beast from ancient world; royalty, heraldry, protection of man by the animals theme; battle between man and animal
- - center grouping - eagles attacking ducks - complexity of lines - one single abstract design
- - balance of positive and negative space
- - convex beaks of eagels fit into concave beaks of the ducks
- 3 geometric designs on top
- - basic shapes with geometric patterns
- - interlace pattern - animals that twist into each other - uncommon outside early medieval
- imitated the painted manuscripts and stone sculptures
- closing element to a fabric pouch
- 7"
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- Animal Head Post from the Oseberg Ship Burial
- Era: Migration, 825
- Techniques:
- made of wood
- graceful curving lines
- expressed a certain dynamic energy
- dense design pushed to surface
- controlled and symmetrically patterned
- interwoven animals that writhe and snap at each other in a serpentine fashion
- large bulging eyes, flared nostrils and bared teeth to ward off evil spirits
- ribbon-like
- 5" tall
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- Prow of Oseberg Ship Burial
- Era: Migration, early 9th century
- Techniques:
- interlaced design
- accentuates curvilinear quality of ship
- energy-filled organic design
- carved bands described as graceful
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- Wooden Portal of the Stave Chruch
- Era: Migration, 1050-1070
- Locaiton: Urnes, Norway
- Techniques:
- staves - wedge shaped timbers that were placed on the doorway vertically
- interlaced patterns in staves
- gracefully elongated animal forms intertwining with plant stalks and growing up the building
- gives it rhythm and energy
- abstract in style but resembles natural growth
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- Man (Symbol of St. Mathew) of the Book of Durrow
- Era: Hiberno-Saxon, 660-680
- Location: Iona, Scotland
- Techniques:
- ink and tempera on parchment - thinner paper helped to illuminate the color
- devoted to embellishment not text or illustration
- nicknamed "carpet pages" because they resemble textiles
- abstract and zoomorphic forms
- framed by an elaborate interlaced border
- intertwined animals
- Mathew
- - frontal head but two profile feet
- - enveloped by a yellow, red and green checkerboard cloak
- - outline with dark brown or black
- - prominent frame for figure
- - resemble cloisonne technique
- - stylized manner
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- Ornamentation Page (Cross and Carpet Page) of the Lindisfarne Gospels
- Era: Hiberno-Saxon, 698-721
- Location: Northumberland, England
- Techniques:
- made of tempera on vellum
- weds Christian imagery and the animal interlaced style
- more intricate and compact than Book of Durrow
- elaborate crucifix in center with vegetation - stabliizes energy and rhythm of the rest of the piece - anchors it
- negative space filled with serpentine zoomorphic forms
- vibrating energy created through knots, clusters, and maze like appearance
- contrast of colors - cool colors in negative, cross is warm - smooth surface, harmony
- lots of reptitiion and symmetry
- 13"x10"
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- St. Mathew, Lindisfarne Gospels
- Era: Hiberno-Saxon, 698-721
- Location: Noruthumberland, Norway
- Techniques:
- tempera on vellum
- Classical influence in figure
- Mediterranean manuscript illumination tradition
- curtain denotes the scene as an indoor study
- shown with his symbol, it functions as his muse
- flattened space, not one point perspective
- feet are toe to heel
- used two different colors to create folds of drapery, not natural
- focus on line and color
- sharp, regularly space folds in drapery
- Moses holding a closed book of Old Testament, juxtaposition to the New Testament being written by Mathew
- Moses is disembodied
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- Chi-Rho-Iota (Incarnation) Page, Book of Kells
- Era: Hiberno-Saxon, late 8th or early 9th century
- Location: Iona, Scotland
- Techniques:
- tempera on vellum
- Greek letters are an abbreviation for Christ
- entire page begins the account of Christ's birth
- letter H means generation
- letters dominate the page
- looks like a metal cloisonne broach
- both animal and human forms
- out of the letter chi there are rivers flowing that symbolize the birth of Christ
- out of the rho is a red headed figure, he is Christ, part of the world from whom flow the rivers of Hell
- left edge of chi are three angels that syblolize heaven and air
- below angels are tumbling cats and mice - allude to animal combat motif - Christ was born into a world of strife
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- Scribe Ezra Rewriting the Sacred Records
- Era: Transitional from Hiberno-Saxon to Carolingian, early 8th century
- Location: Codex Amiatinus, Jarrow
- Techniques:
- illusionistic fashion
- flatness to image
- seated in profile but both feet are visible, toe to heel
- arm and leg coming through garment - light and shadow
- rounded figure - sense of solidity to the body
- skewed perspective
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- St. Mathew, Coronation Gospels of Charlemagne
- Era: Carolingian, 800-810
- Techniques:
- ink and tempera on vellum
- gold lettering on purple vellum
- masses of drapery that cover the body
- illusionistic brushwork
- picture frame goes back to 4th style
- acanthus leaves used in decoration in lecturn and in frame
- landscape is Classical, calm, and solid
- one foot on podium - more natural
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- St. Mathew, Ebbo Gospels
- Era: Carolingian, 816-835
- Location: Hautvilliers, France
- Techniques:
- ink and tempera on vellum
- sense of body contour under drapery - drapery clings to leg - folds show roundness of legs
- torso is lost in folds - done with illusionistic brushwork
- frenzied brush strokes
- slanted eyes, tilted furniture, chaos of drapery and horizon, plants, and frame are all energetic - expressionistic
- Classical illusionism is in the foreground, middle ground, and background
- Classical architecture
- focus of entire piece is on the completion of the book
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- Crucifixion, Lindau Gospels
- Era: Carolingian, 870
- Location: Sant Gall, Switzerland
- Techniques:
- made with gold, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones
- cover of gospels
- youthful Christ in the early Christian tradition nailed to cross
- cross is surrounded by pearls and jewels
- gold catches the light to see the modeling
- repousse technique
- looks like cloissonne but its not
- less suffering Christ
- statuesque figure, Classical tradition
- four angels around him, personification of the moon and the sun, crouching figures of the virgin Mary and St. John and two uncertain figures - all of them have nervous energy to contrast the balanced, calm figure of Christ
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- Christ in Majesty with Four Evangelists and Scenes from the Life of Christ
- Era: Carolingian, 870
- Location: Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram
- Techniques:
- gold set with perals and precious stones
- front cover
- inlaid stones and repousse technique
- jeweled cross
- Christ is enthroned in center of the cross, not crucified
- folds are drawn on, stylized
- protruding belly - trying to give body volume
- surrounded by scene from the life of Christ, four evangelist in human form as seated scribes
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