Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Choirmaster's Crozier with Saints Valerie, Martial, and Michael
(Medieval Europe )
This unusual crozier branches into two volutes, containing on one side St. Valerie kneeling with her decapitated head, guided by a small angel. St. Martial, the bishop who converted her to Christianity, is seen on the other side, celebrating the Mass. At the top is the archangel St. Michael; all three were patron saints of Limoges. Made for a choirmaster, this crozier's two volutes symbolize the two parts of the chants (verses and responses) that were traditionally sung by a choir of monks.
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.
Dugué, Paris, before 1847; Sale, Paris, March 7, 1851, no. 2; Hollingworth Magniac, Colworth, Bedford, 1851, by purchase; Charles Magniac, Colworth, 1867, by inheritance; Sale, Christie's, London, July 2, 1892, no. 504; Edward Arnold, London, by purchase; Sale, London, June 8, 1920, no. 183; Webb; George Robinson Harding, London, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1920, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1999-2000 | Vive la France! French Treasures from the Middle Ages to Monet. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 4/12/1961 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
France, Limoges (Place of Origin)
Measurements
12 15/16 x 6 5/16 x 7/8 in. (32.8 x 16 x 2.3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1920
Location in Museum
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.
53.83