Limoges enamel cross

How did it end up under a stone in the courtyard of Mompesson House?

From: The Salisbury Museum

This is a fine example of a Limoges enamelled crucifix figure dating from the late 12th century. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Limoges was a major centre for production of enamelled objects, which were exported all over Europe. This cross was found under a heavy stone in the courtyard of Mompesson House in Salisbury in the 19th century. It is not known how it got there. 

A timeless legacy of medieval craftsmanship

Limoges was the capital of Aquitaine, a Plantagenet stronghold with strong connections to England. Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England in 1152. Limoges was an important point on the medieval pilgrim route from Vezelay in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and by the early 13th century the production of Limoges enamel was exported all over Europe.

Over 1,000 Limoges crosses survive today, probably a tenth of the production of the Limoges workshops of the 12th – 14th centuries. In 1215 Pope Innocent III decreed that every church in Europe must own at least one Limoges enamel.

Salisbury Museum’s cross measures 211mm in height and 163mm in width. It is broken off above the head and below the feet but is otherwise well preserved. A technique called “champlevé”, whereby the copper surface was cut with engraving tools to produce sunken fields, which were filled with powdered glass and then fired. Although they may look delicate, Limoges enamels were rather robust. The copperplate base is relatively thick. Unlike gold or silver, it is not easily misshapen. The enamelled surface does not fracture easily, enabling it to survive under a stone, where it was eventually discovered.  

Mompesson House, Salisbury. Source: Salisbury Museum
Mompesson House, Salisbury. Source: Salisbury Museum
These patterns and colours are characteristic of Limoges Enamel.
Limoges Enamel chasse, C 1250. From Cleveland Museum of Art via WikiCommons. These patterns and colours are characteristic of Limoges Enamel.

How did the cross end up in the courtyard of Mompesson House? There are several possibilities

It was a lost souvenir
Although beautiful objects and considerably more valuable and ornate than the usual pilgrim souvenirs, Limoges crosses were produced fairly cheaply in large quantities. Many crosses were acquired by the church’s treasuries, but they were also acquired by wealthy private citizens. Maybe a medieval traveller on pilgrimage, purchased a cross in Limoges, and on return to Salisbury accidentally dropped the cross near the Cathedral.
It ended up there accidentally in builder’s material
Mompesson House dates from 1680 and little is known of any structures on the site before then. However we do know that stone from Old Sarum was used in the construction of the new cathedral. It is possible (although it doesn’t sound very likely) that the cross somehow got into a consignment of stone and was dumped at the Mompesson House site.
It had been stolen
Another possibility is that the cross had been stolen, either from the Cathedral or from a private individual. The thief might have hidden it, intending to return but for some reason never did.
It was hidden during the Reformation
The most likely explanation is that the cross had been hidden during the Reformation. During the reign of Henry VIII, the Crown confiscated or destroyed vast quantities of church treasures which were felt to be idolatrous. In 1549, under Edward VI, the Salisbury dean and chapter received a royal order to send 2,000 marks worth of cathedral plate to the King’s Mint in Bristol. In Elizabeth I’s early years there were several sales of cathedral jewels and ornaments “for which there is now no use”. A Salisbury Cathedral inventory of 1536 listed many valuable objects but a further inventory in 1583 showed these reduced to only 29 items, and these of little value. Perhaps the Limoges cross had been hidden to prevent its confiscation.

Curators’ Insights

Salisbury Museum volunteer, Bob Gann said, “I have been a pilgrim myself. I’ve walked the Camino pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I’m fascinated by objects created in the Middle Ages on the pilgrim routes and was intrigued by the mystery of how the Limoges Cross got to Salisbury and why it was hidden under a stone.”

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