Cross

ca. 1190–1200
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This cross, with a gilded figure of Christ, is adorned with champlevé enamels: a halo plaque, three scenes from after his death, and, at the top, the Church personified. A technical examination in the 1990s revealed that the original work was dramatically different. The figure of Christ, without gilding, and the halo plaque, without enamels, were affixed to the other side of the cross. The other enamels and a now-lost plaque were differently arranged on the side they currently occupy.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cross
  • Date: ca. 1190–1200
  • Culture: German (Lower Saxony, Hildesheim (?))
  • Medium: Copper alloy, gilding, champlevé enamel, and marble; wood core
  • Dimensions: Overall: 22 3/16 x 14 3/4 in. (56.4 x 37.5 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Copper alloy
  • Credit Line: Basilika St. Godehard, Hildesheim
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters