Cleveland Museum of Art

The "Spitzer Cross"

Master of the Royal Plantagenet Workshop

Date

c. 1190

Medium

copper: gilded, engraved, stippled; champlevé enamel; wood backing (modern)

Culture

France, Limoges

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This fine enameled cross is named the "Spitzer Cross" after the Viennese art dealer and collector Baron Frédéric Spitzer, who owned it in the 19th century. It has justly been hailed as the finest Limoges enameled cross to survive. The work’s coloration exemplifies its refined craftsmanship. Rendered in white enamel, with fine lines defining the rib cage, abdomen, and muscles, Christ’s body contrasts strikingly with the vibrant green, blue, and yellow of his halo, loincloth, and the cross.

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