Ceremonial Cross of Countess Gertrude
Unknown Artist
1038 or shortly after
Medium
gold: worked in repoussé; cloisonné enamel, intaglio gems, pearls, wood core
Dimensions
24.2 × 21.6 cm · 30.1 × 21.3 × 2.9 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund with the addition of a gift from Mrs. Edward B. Greene
Accession Number
1931.55
About this artwork
This precious gold cross was commissioned by Countess Gertrude (died 1077) and given to the church of Saint Blaise following the death of her husband, Count Liudolf of Brunswick (died 1038). The cross was intended to be carried in liturgical processions or to be placed on a church altar. The inclusion of relics within the crosses endowed them with an additional role as devotional objects. At the center of the four cross arms, fine but much damaged cloisonné enamel plaques represent the symbols o...