Base of an Altar Cross with the Four Evangelists and Their Symbols

ca. 1160
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 304
The base for the cross is decorated with images of the four evangelists, shown as they write the Gospels. Their symbols—angel, lion, ox, and eagle—appear to the right of each. Such crosses were common on altars in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and elaborate examples became a specialty of goldsmiths working in the area of the Meuse Valley.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Base of an Altar Cross with the Four Evangelists and Their Symbols
  • Date: ca. 1160
  • Geography: Made in Meuse Valley, Netherlands
  • Culture: South Netherlandish
  • Medium: Champlevé enamel, copper-gilt
  • Dimensions: Overall: 2 5/8 x 5 7/8 in. (6.7 x 14.9 cm)
  • Classification: Enamels-Champlevé
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.190.341a
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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Base of an Altar Cross with the Four Evangelists and Their Symbols - South Netherlandish - The Metropolitan Museum of Art