The "Spitzer Cross"

The collection record classifies this work as enamel. It is dated c. 1190. Recorded culture or place: France, Limoges.

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OBJECT RECORD

A closer look at the details.

Museum title: The "Spitzer Cross"
Date: c. 1190
Culture / origin: France, Limoges
Materials and technique: copper: gilded, engraved, stippled; champlevé enamel; wood backing (modern)
Dimensions: Overall: 67.4 x 41.9 x 0.2 cm (26 9/16 x 16 1/2 x 1/16 in.)
Artist / maker: Master of the Royal Plantagenet Workshop (French)
Museum: The Cleveland Museum of Art
Accession number: 1923.1051

FROM THE MUSEUM

In the museum’s words

The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.

This fine enameled cross is named the "Spitzer Cross" after the Viennese art dealer and collector Baron Frédéric Spitzer, who owned it in the 19th century. It has justly been hailed as the finest Limoges enameled cross to survive. The work’s coloration exemplifies its refined craftsmanship. Rendered in white enamel, with fine lines defining the rib cage, abdomen, and muscles, Christ’s body contrasts strikingly with the vibrant green, blue, and yellow of his halo, loincloth, and the cross.

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