Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1985, Page 122

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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.