The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 1, 2023

Relic of the Stone which Supported the Cross

c. 1045

Part of a set. See all set records

Germany, Lower Saxony?, Romanesque period, 11th century

Limestone, felted fiber

Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1931.462.j

Location

106C Medieval Treasury

Fun Fact

The accompanying parchment identifies the piece of limestone as a portion of the block used to support the Holy Cross on Mount Golgotha.

Description

This relic is housed inside of the portable altar commissioned by Countess Gertrude of Brunswick, one of the Guelph Treasure’s earliest and most sumptuous objects.

Citations
The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned: cat. no. 95 archive.org
May, Sally Ruth, Jane Takac, and Barbara J. Bradley. Knockouts: A Pocket Guide. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001. Reproduced: no. 19, p. 24
Mikolic, Amanda. Worshiping in Place through Art: The Hidden Gems of the Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude. Cleveland Museum of Art The Thinker Blog on Medium. July 16, 2020. medium.com
Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1931.462.j