Plaque with the Symbol of the Evangelist John
Unknown Artist
ca. 1100
Medium
Copper: cut and gilt; champlevé and cloisonné enamel: black, lapis and lavender blue, turquoise, green, red, white, pinkish white.
Dimensions
Overall: 4 x 2 3/8 x 1/8in. (10.1 x 6.1 x 0.3cm)
Classification
Enamels-Champlevé & Cloisonné
Culture
French
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.429
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Medieval Art collection of the Metropolitan Museum of, this exquisite *Plaque with the Symbol of the Evangel John* (ca. 1100) captures the spiritual fervor of 12th-century France. Crafted by an artist, the small copper plaque—measuring just 4 x2⅜ inches—likely depicts the eagle, the traditional emblem of Saint John theist. This soaring bird symbolizes the apostle's profound theological insights, evoking divine inspiration and the Gospel's heavenly heights. Such emblems were common in religious art, adorning altarpieces, book covers, or reliquaries during the Romanesque period. ...