LITURGY

Evêques présentant les reliques dans des Châsses

Champlevé technique:

The champlevé technique involves cutting out cavities in a metal, most often in copper plate. The cavities are then filled with enamel (a coloured, glass-like material), leaving a design formed by the edges of the metal, which are gilded with mercury.

Limoges, a major medieval centre of champlevé enamel

From the mid-12^th century, Limoges was the main centre for the champlevé enamel technique. Its workshops made numerous pieces that were exported all over Europe until the mid-14^th century.

Mention is made of « Work of Limoges » (Opus lemovicense) in documents from 1169. The success of these objects was especially due to the simple, inexpensive materials used (copper and glass for the enamel). Once transformed by the Limousin craftsmen, the pieces resembled gold and precious gems because of the bright colours. In 1215, moreover, the Council Latran IV authorised the use of champlevé enamel in liturgical objects.

The production from Limoges was abundant and resulted in a wide range of objects, generally of a religious nature, and especially box reliquaries, but also pyxes, crosses, book covers, etc. One can also come across secular objects made in the Limousin workshops.

Aquamanile: dragon, often known as a griffon, about 1200, bronze or copper, Lower Saxony (Germany), Louvre Museum.

The aquamanile in the Louvre is one of a large family of objects of this kind in the form of a dragon, made in Lower Saxony, particularly in Hildesheim in the 12th and 13th centuries. It has the head and tail of a dragon with ears or ear tufts. This kind of monster has often been described as a « griffon » since the 19th century. Strictly speaking, it is a four-legged animal with the torso and feet of a bird and the hind quarters of a lion. A dragon, on the other hand, has the two front paws of a lion and two wings behind.

The opening where the recipient was filled has now lost its valve. Water was removed via the mouth. The griffon’s tail ends in a plant coil to form the handle.

Aquamanile, early 13th century, bronze, Germany, Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris.

The aquamanile in the Museum of Decorative Arts is a significant and unique model. An imaginary bird with a human face holds in its very slender arms a kind of bottle neck that is used as an air vent; a second animal’s head between the two paws acts as a spout. The bird’s wings and tail are curved to form the handle of the aquamanile and contain the opening with a moveable lid into which the water was poured.

The Evangelists, Mark, Luke, Matthew and John, wrote the four Gospels in the New Testament (Bible), relating the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.

The Evangelists are often depicted, not in human form, but allegorically: a lion for Mark, a bull for Luke, a man for Matthew and an eagle for John.

These depictions are inspired by a vision of the prophet Ezechiel in the Old Testament, with four identical, celestial creatures, each with the four legs of a bull, the four wings of an eagle, four human hands and four different faces of a man, a lion, a bull and an eagle. These four « living forms » or Tetramorph have their place at the foot of the throne of God.

This vision was taken up in the Apocalypse according to Saint John, but this time the living beings were not identical: « And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.« 

Later, the 5^th century Church Fathers associated the four creatures with the Evangelists, according to what they had written in their Gospels:

• Mark is associated with the lion because his gospel begins in the desert;
• Luke is associated with a bull because the beginning of his gospel refers to sacrifice, and the bull is the animal that was sacrificed;
• Matthew is associated with a man because his gospel begins with the genealogy of Christ;
• John is associated with the eagle because it is said that it is the only animal that can look at the sun without burning its eyes. It is a reference to the apostle’s ability to contemplate the mystery of God, the elevation of the divine Word and his preaching.

Pilgrim’s ampulla decorated with fleur-de-lis

• Medieval period
• Lead
• Ht. 5.6cm
• Donated by Pierre Malrieu

Here it is decorated with fleur-de-lis. It was worn around the neck with a cord tied to the handles. It contained holy oils or holy water that had been in contact with relics.

The Paschal Lamb is a powerful Christian symbol representing Jesus Christ, the « Lamb of God », who sacrificed himself to redeem humanity’s sins (in reference to the lamb as a sacrificial animal). The adjective « Paschal » refers to Pascha (Easter), when Christ died and was resurrected.

The Paschal Lamb is shown here with a halo and carrying a banner, as was often the case in the Middle Ages.

According to the book of Genesis in the Bible, they were the first man and woman created by God. We can see them here in the Garden of Eden, on either side of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They each have the forbidden fruit in their hands, while the serpent, the symbol of evil and temptation, is curled around the tree trunk. This founding event in the Bible led to the Fall of man, condemning men to hard toil and women to painful childbirth.

In the Bible, Canaan is the land promised to the Jews by God. Moses sent messengers to explore Canaan. They returned with a huge bunch of grapes, which two of them carried on a pole.

This bowl represents the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and that her child would be called Jesus, the Messiah. This is a very important episode in Christianity and is often depicted in the same way: to the left is the Archangel Gabriel, to the right is Mary and above them the dove of the Holy Ghost sending forth rays, since Mary conceived « through the Holy Ghost ».