The Saint-Denis Crystal or ''Cristal de Saint-Denis'' is a Caroligian

engraved gem An engraved gem, frequently referred to as an intaglio, is a small and usually semi-precious gemstone that has been carved, in the Western tradition normally with images or inscriptions only on one face. The engraving of gemstones was a major lux ...

depicting the crucifixion of Christ, that was originally held in the

treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or i ...

of the

Abbey of Saint-Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...

in France. During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

many pieces in the Abbey's treasure were either broken up and destroyed or sold - the Saint Denis Crystal eventually made its way to the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

in London, where it resides to this day.British Museum Collection
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Description

The Saint-Denis Crystal is one of 20 or so engraved intaglios of rock crystal to survive from the Middle Ages. On the flat surface of the crystal is engraved the

crucifixion of Christ The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and considere ...

, who is flanked by the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

and Saint John who are holding clothes to their faces in expressions of grief. Above this scene are two images of the moon and the sun.

History

Estimated to date between 846 and 869 AD, the

crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...

was clearly made for an important client from the Carolingian court. For a long time, it was kept in the treasury of the Abbey of Saint-Denis, where almost all the monarchs of France are buried. Following the French Revolution the crystal was sold at auction in 1798 and, after going through various hands, was purchased by the British Museum in 1855.

Description

History

See also

References

Further reading