A bishop's crosier depicting the Annunciation

Details

LIMOGES, SECOND QUARTER 13TH CENTURY
A bishop's crosier depicting the Annunciation
enamel and gilt copper; the knop decorated with intertwining lizards and a crown of stylised leaves; the interior of the crosier with a paper label indicating the collection of Victor Martin Le Roy (1842-1918); on a modern wood stand with a paper label to the underside inscribed '...1346 / 1.52'; with a later velvet-lined leather fitted case
12 ¾ in. (32.5 cm.) high; 14 ¾ in. (37.5 cm.) high, overall

Provenance

Victor Martin Le Roy (1842-1918).
Stanislas Baron (1824-1908), 28 rue Grange-Batelière, Paris until acquired by
Charles Gillot (1853-1903), on 22 April 1899 (5000 Fr),
mentioned in the inventory of Charles Gillot's collection following his death, 11 April 1903, no. 83 (located in the gallery on the second floor).
Ancienne Collection Charles Gillot sale; Christie's Paris, 4-5 March 2008, lot 242, where acquired after sale.

Literature

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
B. Drake Boehm et E. Taburet-Delahaye, eds., Enamels of Limoges 1100-1350, Paris and New York, Musée du Louvre and Metropolitan Museum of Art, 23 October 1995 - 16 June 1996, p. 326, n. 111.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Lucy Speelman Junior Specialist, Head of Part II

lspeelman@christies.com +44 207 752 3074

Lot Essay

The crosier - shaped like a shepherd's crook - symbolises the pastoral role of the bishop. Medieval examples in ivory, precious metals or enamel bear witness to the spectacular wealth of the Church during the period. Comparable examples to the present lot, also featuring a central Annunciation scene, are housed in the collections of Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession no. 17.190.835a) and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (accession no. 195-1869).

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