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Crozier with the Annunciation
(Medieval Europe )
The head of this crozier (pastoral staff) for a bishop or abbot shows the first event of Christ's incarnation. The archangel Gabriel raises his right arm in a gesture indicating his greeting: Hail Mary, full of Grace. He holds a scepter shaped like a lily, a symbol of the Virgin's purity. Mary raises one hand in surprise and holds a book with the other. On the knob of the crozier are six enamel shields, possibly the heraldry of an unknown patron. Three serpents fall headlong down the staff, showing God's triumph over sin through Christ's incarnation.
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.
Antiquariat Drey, Munich, by purchase; Walter Sneyd, Keele Hall, Staffordshire, ca. 1860, by purchase; his family, 1888, by inheritance; Sale, Christie's, London, July 1902, no. 86; Jacques Seligmann, Paris, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date of acquisition unknown] by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2008-2009 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Museum of Biblical Art, New York; Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville; Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha. |
| 2002-2005 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville. |
| 2001-2002 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville. |
| 1984-1985 | Illuminated Manuscripts: Masterpieces in Miniature. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1984 | The Taste of Maryland: Art Collecting in Maryland 1800-1934. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
France, Limoges (Place of Origin)
Measurements
13 x 4 1/2 in. (33 x 11.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
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.
44.121