This is a sculpture of Trumpet blowing angels heralding the last Judgement. You can't see them, but the angels are to the left & right of the statue. The figure is the angel of St. Matthew, to his left is the ox of Luke and to his right is the Lion of Mark. This statue supported an eagle lecturn. (pictured below)
Below is the head of a Crozier with a serpent devouring a flower. The crozier conveyed authority of the bishop. The Serpent and flower are frequently combined. They allude to the rod of Moses that turned to a serpent and to the flowering rod of Aaron, symbol of his election to the priesthood of God.
These are two Appliques from a Book Cover: Ox of St. Luke & Lion of St. Mark
These are two Appliques from a Book Cover: Ox of St. Luke & Lion of St. Mark
This dove would've hung over an altar asan evocation of "holy spirit". A tear shaped door on its back conceals a small cavity used to hold the bread of the Eucharist.
(of course this musuem is huge) I was glad to soak up the culture. It really helps to visually see pieces of history and not only read about it.
Here is some information I forgot to add about the first two pictures. These are what the animals represent:
ReplyDeleteMatthew - Winged Man
In some drawings the Winged Man holds a sword and scales, representing the Archangel Michael.
Mark - Lion
"strong and bold. The wings emphasize Mark's proclamation of Jesus' resurrection. Because lion cubs are born small and immobile with their eyes shut for the first few days, there is a myth that lion cubs are born dead but come to life after three days. This reminds Christians of the Resurrection. ... Another idea is that lions sleep with their eyes open, making them symbols of watchfulness."
Luke - Ox or calf
"strength, diligence and patience, and unwearied discharge of the work to be done. As a sacrificial animal, the calf emphasizes Jesus' sacrificial atonement."
John - Eagle because of his "soaring" witness to Jesus' divine nature. The eagle soars at high altitudes, it is quick and sharp-sighted, and it has a rich symbolic history. An early legend held that the eagle would periodically renew its youth by flying near the sun and then plunging into a lake or fountain. On this basis the eagle became a symbol for the Resurrection. In addition, since the eagle soars upward, it became a symbol for Christ's Ascension. Eagles also represent Christians who have died and risen again."