Inscriptions and Interactions: Text and Image on the Cloisters Cross and other Ivories
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5617/acta.5781Abstract
According to the Gospel narratives, a sign of identification was posted on the cross above Christ’s head at the Crucifixion, following Roman custom. The biblical passage in John 19: 19-22 and its exegesis concerning the circumstances of the titulus provides a concise commentary on the Christian use of inscription. The Cross’s inscription is described as multilingual and disputed from the moment of its production, but it also authoritatively affirmed by the Bible passage itself. As it grew in importance in the Middle Ages, the supposedly preserved object and text became a relic testifying to the veracity of the events of the Crucifixion. Of particular interest is the way in which the ironic phrase “King of the Jews,” not only fails to match the image of the abjected crucified man it inscribes but thereby comes to represent a higher truth also inherent in the Gospel story. This essay discusses these issues as they are realized on the ivory Cloisters Cross in New York City and then contrasts this highly self-conscious use of inscription to other texts on Romanesque ivories.
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).