Double Capital Depicting Saints Cosmas and Damian (Guild of Barber-Surgeons)
(Renaissance Europe )
Guilds of various natures often sponsored artworks. In this late fifteenth-century capital from a monastery in Gascony (France), the arms of the guild of barber-surgeons is prominently displayed. The coat of arms depicts the tools of the trade (scalpel and scissors) and is flanked by two famous doctor saints from Antiquity: Cosmas and Damian. The inscription reads, "Saints Cosmas and Damian pray for us." Another doctor holding a flask up to the light is pictured on the right; on the back, two medical saints (possibly Gervasius and Protasius) complete the decoration.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Walters Art Museum, 1967, by purchase.
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
6/25/1971 | Treatment | cleaned |
Measurements
H: 13 7/8 × W: 18 1/2 × D: 12 5/8 in. (35.3 × 46.99 × 32.13 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds provided by the S. & A.P. Fund, 1967
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
27.572