The Clonmacnoise Crucifixion Plaque is a 10th century Irish gilt-bronze sculpture depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus. He is disproportionately large to the other figures, which including the two attendant angels in the upper quadrants, and the two Roman soldiers Stephaton (the sponge-bearer) and Longinus (the lance-bearer) in the lower quadrants, driving spears into his chest.
The sculpture is is 8.0cm (3.1in) in height and is one of eight such exant early medieval Irish crucifixion plaques, which after representations on high crosses, are the earliest surviving Irish representations of the Crucifixion.[2] It's closely observed detail, especially around the figure's clothing, was described by the art historian Máire de Paor as the "most charming of the series".[3] Its modern rediscovery and provenance is unknown. It was acquired by the National Museum of Ireland in 1935 and is on permanent display.[4]
Description
The Clonmacnoise Crucifixion Plaque is made from gilt-bronze and is hollow-cast (ie liquid bronze was poured into a mold). The outline of the figures was achieved via openwork, that is by creating holes or gaps in the metal to produce the shapes. The frame is almost square with an outermost height of 8.0cm (3.1in) and width of 7.3cm (2.9in). The frame is decorated by series of lozenges (diamond or rhombus-shaped patterns) separated by horizontal bars.[5]
The angle on the left upper quadrant
As with each of the eight surviving Crucifixion plaque, here Christ is depicted with open eyes, indicating that he is still alive.[6] As is typical for the group, his head and outstretched arms are disproportionally large compared to the rest of his body.[7] Christ wears an adorned chasuble (a type of liturgical vestment) that reaches to his knee and is divided latterly into three highly decorated verticle segments, underwhich is an eloberatly decorated hem. He has rather stubby legs.[8]
Christ's arms are in low relief and adorned with bilateral patterns.[8] He is smiling despite the nial wounds in his palms and chest,[8] the latter of which are inflicted from spears thrust by the biblical soldier Stephaton (in the lower left quadrant) and Longinus (in the lower right quadrant).[7][9]
Detail of Stephaton
The angels standing on his arms have diagonally hatched wings that coil inwards to resolve in a pair of large spirals. Like Christ, the angle's feet turn outwards. These figures are in poorer condition than the central figure.[8] on the lower left quadrant, Stephaton is shown in profile with feet turned towards Christ while stabbing him with a long spear. Stephaton weart a long garment, possibly of chain mail, and decorated with herringbone patterns. He is given a face with a short nose, protruding chin and gaping mouth.[8]
The figures are surrounded by a continuous rectangular frame on which Jesus, Stephaton and Longinus stand on its lower border. Because Christ is so comparatively with reference to the frame, the cross is not visible.[4]
The plaque is assumed by archaeologists to date to the mid-10th century, given that it shares several motifs with other objects securily dated to that period. In particular, it contains elements of the Viking Ringerike style. In addition, the representations of Stephaton and Longinus bear similarities to figures on the borders of the cumdach—a metal casing intended as a book shrine—built for the Stowe Missal and dated to c. 1045–1052. A warrior on one side of the Stowe cumdach holds a lance that merges into the left and right sides of the frame, as do both soldiers on the Clonmacnoise plaque.[9] The Stowe warrior's hair curves in a distinctive manner around the back of his neck before merging with the frame, a visual motif near identical to the depiction of Stephaton in the Clonmacnoise plaque.[9]
The art historian Peter Harbison grouped the plaque with a now lost example rediscovered in County Mayo, known only from a 19th-century drawing in watercolour, and suggested a single workshop based in the major artistic center at Clonmacnoise monastry.[10]
Crists's depiction resembles an earlier Manks stone cross found on the Calf of Man island off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man.[11] In that work, he also wears a moustache, forked beard and long hair, but is more similar (and closer in date) to Christ in the Rinnegan plaque, while bearing a resemblance to the cleric on the side panel of the 11th-century imagery added to the Soiscél Molaisse cumdach.[12]
19th century drawing of the Calf of Man stone cross
Detail from the Stowe Missal cumdach, mid-11th centur
Detail from the Stowe Missal cumdach
Watercolour of a fragment of the lost Mayo Crucifixion Plaque. 1830s. Assumed height: 8.5cm (3.3in)
Function
Archaeologists believe that it was built as an attachment to a larger metal or wooden object given that the reverse is flat and unadorned, and that it contains eight rivet-holes (only one rivet –or nail– remains) on the outer borders.[13] It is unknown as to what the precise intention was; the plaques may have adorned book covers, crosses or altar frontals.[2][14][15]
Johnson, Ruth. "Irish Crucifixion Plaques: Viking Age or Romanesque?". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, volume 128, 1998. JSTOR25549845
Harbison, Peter. "A lost crucifixion plaque of Clonmacnoise type found in County Mayo". ̄Irish Midland Studies: Essays in Commemoration of N.W. English. Athlone, 1980. ISBN978-0-9503-4281-8
Murray, Griffin. "Irish crucifixion plaques: a reassessment. In: Mullins, Juliet; Ni Ghradaigh, Jenifer (eds): Envisioning Christ on the Cross: Ireland and the Early Medieval West. University of Notre Dame: Thomas F.X. Noble, 2014
de Paor, Máire. "An Openwork Crucifixion Plaque from Clonmacnoise". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, volume 84, no. 1, 1954. JSTOR25509155
Further reading
Kelly, Dorothy. "Crucifixion Plaques". Irish Arts Review Yearbook, 1990
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