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Gallery Text

Some of the most precious and finely wrought objects of the Middle Ages were made for use in the liturgical service of the church. Crosses and censers were carried in procession, while reliquaries, caskets, and shrines held the remains of saints or objects associated with them. Because of the sacred function of these objects, they were made of the most valuable materials available: ivory, bronze, enamel, rock crystal, and gold. Through their hallowed contents or their liturgical function, these objects provided access to the divine, yet they were also displays of wealth and craftsmanship. Censers and vessels were cast in bronze, while other objects, such as caskets and reliquaries, were assembled from a wooden core and covered with ivory, enamel, and gilded metal. Often, if such costly materials were out of reach, wood or other modest materials were painted and gilded to resemble them.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
BR58.250
People
Unidentified Artist
Title
God the Father
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
relief, sculpture
Date
c. 1325-1350
Places
Creation Place: Europe, Germany, Upper Rhine
Culture
German
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/223149

Location

Location
Level 2, Room 2440, Medieval Art
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Gilded copper
Technique
Gilding
Dimensions
sight: 8.1 x 6.3 x 1.5 cm (3 3/16 x 2 1/2 x 9/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Ottmar Strauss, Cologne, sold [through Hugo Helbing, Frankfurt, November 6-8, 1934, lot 99]. [1] [Mathias Komor, New York], sold; to Busch-Reisinger Museum, December 1958

Notes
[1] According to an annotated version of the Hugo Helbing sale catalogue the work was sold to “Whilling.”
[2] In March 2023, Harvard University reached an agreement with the Ottmar Strauss Heirs allowing the Harvard Art Museums to retain the bronze relief that was sold in Frankfurt in 1934.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Museum purchase
Accession Year
1958
Object Number
BR58.250
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
The embossed relief represents God the Father or possibly Christ. He is seated, raising His right hand in a gesture of blessing, while His left grasps a book that rests on His knee. The halo has incised lines to indicate rays of light. The background is decorated with an incised lozenge pattern, the alternate compartments of which have been punchecd with an allover dot ornament.

Much of the gilding has been worn off. That which remains appears to be original. Six small holes on the edge of the relief were used to attach it to its background. The forehead is slightly dented.

Publication History

  • Sammlung Geheimrat Ottmar Strauss Köln, auct. cat. (Frankurt, Germany, November 7, 1934), (lot 99) p. 13, pl. 29
  • Charles L. Kuhn, German and Netherlandish Sculpture, 1280-1800, the Harvard Collections, Harvard University Press (Cambridge, MA, 1965), p. 3, cat. no. 2 p. 44, repr. as pl. V

Exhibition History

  • German Sculpture, 1500 - 1960: A New Installation, Busch-Reisinger Museum, Cambridge, 09/05/1984 - 12/31/1984
  • German Sculpture from the Permanent Collection, Busch-Reisinger Museum, Cambridge, 01/21/1986 - 03/10/1986
  • 32Q: 2440 Medieval, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 06/25/2021; Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/18/2023 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu