A manual for the study of the sepulchral slabs and crosses of the Middle Ages / By the Rev. Edward L. Cutts, B. A.

  • Edward Cutts
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual for the study of the sepulchral slabs and crosses of the Middle Ages / By the Rev. Edward L. Cutts, B. A. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    tween the clergy of all parts of Europe, probably had also great effect in producing, not only in this but in every branch of Christian art, that general resemblance which we find in early art throughout Europe. By going from one country to another, we can obtain a connected series of these Christian grave-stones from the time of the Apostles to the present day. ‘The series in the Lapi- darian gallery extends from A.D. 89 down to A.D. 400. The next in order of date which we meet with, are in IJre- land, where these early monuments are numerous. Of these the earliest which has hitherto been described is the stone of St. Brecan, A.D. 500°; next in order come those of Conaing, A.D. 822, Plate 1.; Suibine mac Maelhumai, c. A.D. 891°; Blaimac, c. A.D. 896, Plate 1.; Aigidm, A.D. 955°; Mael- finnia, A.D. 992, Plate 11.; and Flannchadd, A.D. 1003, Plate 11. These Irish stones bring down our series to the beginning of the eleventh century. On Plate 11. is an example out of several found at Hartlepool: these stones are very small, and were not properly grave-stones, but were placed as bolsters under the heads of the corpses ; their exact similarity in design with the above Irish exam- ples, indicates that such grave-stones were used in England, at the same period, as well as in Ireland. From this point we shall find our series completed down to the present time from English examples. ‘Thus in the twelfth century we have the stones of Udard de Broham, A.D. 1185; Plate vu., and. Plates 1v., v., VL, vu. In the thirteenth century Gilbert de Broham, A.D. 1230, Plate rx., Bishop Quivil, A.D. 1291, Plate xv., and Plates ¢ Engraved in Petrie’s Ecclesiastical law on the subject which must not be Architecture of Ireland. omitted here, “ Let every sepulchre be 4 Such types may however have been esteemed sacred, and let it be adorned confined to those parts of England which with the sign of the cross, and take care were under the influence of Irish mis- lest any tread upon it with their feet.””— sions or ecclesiastical settlements. Kenethi leges religiosz, Spelman’s Con- In the ninth century we meet with a cilia, p. 342.
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