Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags

Årgang

Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1985, Side 122

Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1985, Side 122
126 ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS carvings in thc Rooms of thc Society of Antiquaries. In an illustrated catalogue published in 1913 in which Flope and E.S. Prior wrote, Prior laid down a dating system which still holds good in gcncral. After 1920 W.L. Hildburgh made the most important contribution in the field of alabaster work and his great collcction of alabaster carvings forms thc basis of thc Victoria and Albcrt Museum’s alabaster collection. Most of the work on alabaster dates from before 1950. But the chief specialist in Eng- lish alabaster today is Francis H. Cheetham, director of the Norwich Castle Museum. He now works on the rcgistration of all existing alabaster works. Cheetham has reviewed thc dating of the works as well as the localization of the workshops from documentary evi- dence and catalogued thc alabaster works’ characteristics. His latest work on all the ala- bastcr carvings in thc Victoria and Albcrt Museum is of an enormous significance for all rcsearch in this ficld. Thc dating of alahaster carvings Thc dating of mcdicval alabaster works is unusually difficult. The „alabastermen" seem to havc been ultra conscrvative. Thc changes that took place in armour and dress styles bctwecn 1375 and 1550 are not reflected in the plaques which had standardized icono- graphy continuing over long periods. Anothcr example are the few architectural dctails shown which can bc of any use for dating. Carver’s marks found on the backs of a few plaques do not provide any clues as to their dating. Yct therc arc no means of knowing whether they were used as „signatures", or more likcly, guides for assuring the correct assembly of the component parts. The panels’ edgcs can also be useful for dating as thcy tend to gct cruder as the 15th century ad- vanced. Chectham has pointed out that a hole can be found on the bottom of thc pancls. This was probably intcnded as an aide when the panels werc lifted up and put togethcr when transported. This bcgins at the end of the 15th century and might be a tradcmark of ccrtain workshops. Thc fact that alabaster carving dcveloped as a sidc industry from the alabaster tombs industry, and a close affinity can bc detccted betwecn thcm, is worth not- icing, cspccially because the tombs can be accuratcly datcd. The alabastcr carvings arc classified into three main periods: 1340-1380, 1380-1450 A and B and 1450-1500. Alahaster in Iceland In England no whole rctable has bccn found, only a vast numbcr of diffcrent panels. But many works were exportcd to a safc place on thc continent after the Reformation. Ovcr 2000 pancls and 74 rctables havc been prcscrved in Europe of which sevcn come from Iccland (Hítardalur, Hólar, Kirkjubær, Munkaþvcrá, Möðruvellir, Rcynistaður and Þingeyrar) as well as shrines from Selárdalur and Hvammur in Norðurárdalur. Many re- redos and imagincs of alabastcr are mentioned in thc Icclandic church inventaries. Thesc works wcrc importcd in thc 15th and 16th centurics whcn close commercial - and cultural ties wcrc between Iccland and England. The English had a regular tradc with lceland from about 1412 to 1550 when the Han- seatic took over and thc English withdrcw. Thc niain city in England trading with Iceland was King’s Lynn, but ships from the seaports of Bristol, Great Yarmouth, Hull, Ipswich and London also sailcd to Iccland. At this time most of the bishops of Iceland wcre for- cigncrs. At the Hólar bishopric thc bishops wcrc English from 1424-1441 but somc of thcrn were non-resident.
Side 1
Side 2
Side 3
Side 4
Side 5
Side 6
Side 7
Side 8
Side 9
Side 10
Side 11
Side 12
Side 13
Side 14
Side 15
Side 16
Side 17
Side 18
Side 19
Side 20
Side 21
Side 22
Side 23
Side 24
Side 25
Side 26
Side 27
Side 28
Side 29
Side 30
Side 31
Side 32
Side 33
Side 34
Side 35
Side 36
Side 37
Side 38
Side 39
Side 40
Side 41
Side 42
Side 43
Side 44
Side 45
Side 46
Side 47
Side 48
Side 49
Side 50
Side 51
Side 52
Side 53
Side 54
Side 55
Side 56
Side 57
Side 58
Side 59
Side 60
Side 61
Side 62
Side 63
Side 64
Side 65
Side 66
Side 67
Side 68
Side 69
Side 70
Side 71
Side 72
Side 73
Side 74
Side 75
Side 76
Side 77
Side 78
Side 79
Side 80
Side 81
Side 82
Side 83
Side 84
Side 85
Side 86
Side 87
Side 88
Side 89
Side 90
Side 91
Side 92
Side 93
Side 94
Side 95
Side 96
Side 97
Side 98
Side 99
Side 100
Side 101
Side 102
Side 103
Side 104
Side 105
Side 106
Side 107
Side 108
Side 109
Side 110
Side 111
Side 112
Side 113
Side 114
Side 115
Side 116
Side 117
Side 118
Side 119
Side 120
Side 121
Side 122
Side 123
Side 124
Side 125
Side 126
Side 127
Side 128
Side 129
Side 130
Side 131
Side 132
Side 133
Side 134
Side 135
Side 136
Side 137
Side 138
Side 139
Side 140
Side 141
Side 142
Side 143
Side 144
Side 145
Side 146
Side 147
Side 148
Side 149
Side 150
Side 151
Side 152
Side 153
Side 154
Side 155
Side 156
Side 157
Side 158
Side 159
Side 160
Side 161
Side 162
Side 163
Side 164
Side 165
Side 166
Side 167
Side 168
Side 169
Side 170
Side 171
Side 172
Side 173
Side 174
Side 175
Side 176
Side 177
Side 178
Side 179
Side 180
Side 181
Side 182
Side 183
Side 184
Side 185
Side 186
Side 187
Side 188
Side 189
Side 190
Side 191
Side 192
Side 193
Side 194
Side 195
Side 196
Side 197
Side 198
Side 199
Side 200
Side 201
Side 202
Side 203
Side 204
Side 205
Side 206
Side 207
Side 208
Side 209
Side 210
Side 211
Side 212
Side 213
Side 214
Side 215
Side 216
Side 217

x

Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags

Direkte link

Hvis du vil linke til denne avis/magasin, skal du bruge disse links:

Link til denne avis/magasin: Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags
https://timarit.is/publication/97

Link til dette eksemplar:

Link til denne side:

Link til denne artikel:

Venligst ikke link direkte til billeder eller PDfs på Timarit.is, da sådanne webadresser kan ændres uden advarsel. Brug venligst de angivne webadresser for at linke til sitet.