| Rinnegan Crucifixion Plaque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Material | Bronze, formerly gilded.openwork,repoussé |
| Size | 21 cm (8.3 in) x 12.5 cm (4.9 in)[1] |
| Created | Late 7th or early 8th century[2] |
| Period/culture | Early Medieval,Insular |
| Place | Rinnegan, nearAthlone, Ireland |
| Present location | National Museum of Ireland, Dublin |
| Identification | NMI R554 |
TheRinnegan Crucifixion Plaque (also known as theAthlone orSt. John's Crucifixion Plaque) is a late 7th or early 8th century Irishgilt-bronzecrucifixion plaque sculpture found in the 19th century in the churchyard of St. John's on thehead ofLough Ree near Rinnegan,County Roscommon.[3] It is one of the earliest known representations ofthe crucifixion in Irish art, and outside ofilluminated manuscripts, is a rare example ofrepresentation in 8th century Irish art.[4]
The Rinnegan Plaque is the earliest of the eight such early medieval Irish plaques to have survived, and at 21 cm (8.3 in) x 12.5 cm (4.9 in) is the largest example,[1] and widely considered by archaeologists to be the most accomplished.[5] It's dating to the late 7th or early 8th centuries is based on its curvilinear designs, including spirals andinterlace.[6] While the precise function of these plaques is unknown, the fact that they contain multiple rivet or nail holes indicates that they were likely intended to be attached to largerecclesiastical objects such asprocessional crosses,book shrines or altarpieces.[7][8]
The plaque was hidden or buried at some stage to protect it from plunder byViking or laterNorman invaders. While the details of its rediscovery in the early 19th century are unknown,iron and salt deposits in the hollows of its reverse indicate that it was buried in the ground. The plaque is in the permanent collection of theNational Museum of Ireland (NMI) in Dublin.[5]
Christ wears a tubular and long-sleevedtunic and is given a mask-like face reminiscent of earlierLa Tène art[9] and does not wear a beard. He is centre-facing and looking out at the viewer with outstretched arms. He has open eyes and seems to stand rather than hang on the centre of the cross, indicating that he is still alive.[10] His feet point inwards and downwards, and the rivet holes indicate that he is nailed to a cross.[4][11] The thin border that outlines his head is assumed to be ahalo. His chest, arms and long tunic are heavily decorated by elaborate earlyCeltic spiral patterns.[12]
The cross is barely visible.[1][13]
Two attendant angels with triple wings (on either side and below as if a tail) hover above him.
The Roman soldiersStephaton (the sponge-bearer) andLonginus (the lance-bearer) are positioned on either side of his feet.[9] The band above Christ's head contains ribboninterlace and his breastplate is decorated with interlocking c-shapedscrolls and spirals.[13]
The figures were achieved by hammering the bronze from behind, while the decorative elements were added viaengraving andrepoussé.[13]
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The reverse side is unadorned. It contains rivet and nail holes on the outer borders, indicating that the plaque was intended to be attached to a larger metal or wooden object. Thus most art historians conclude that it likely had a secondary function, but it is unknown as to what the precise intention was; likely such plaques adorned book covers, stonealtar frontals or woodencrosses.[1][14][15] The art historianPeter Harbison, who in 1980 first described the extant crucifixion plaques as a group,[16] favorspax-plates, noting that many show wear around Christ's head, indicating that they may have been passed around to be kissed during masses.[17][18]
Harbison suggested that a single workshop or region produced the plaques, a theory refuted in 2014 byGriffin Murray who points out both their geographical dispersion and provenance (although all seem to have been produced in SouthernUlster)[19] and differences when analysed underX-ray fluorescence.[20]
The ecclesiastical site at St. John's dates back to antiquity, and the plaque is believed to have been discovered buried near an iron and bronze handbell.[13][14] Nothing is known of the circumstances around its commission or production. It is usually dated to the early 8th century based on the interlockingpeltae and spiral designs on Christ's breastplate and on the band above his head.[1] The historian Frank Mitchell suggests that the absence of typicalinsularzoomorphic animal designs suggests that it was created in the later 7th century.[9]
The design of the plaque has been compared to very similar crucifixion folio (f.38v) of the ninth-centurySouthampton Psalter and to an 11th or 12th-century open-work brass crucifixion plaque in theBritish Museum.[21][22]
The earliest surviving printed reference to the Rinnegan Crucifixion Plaque is inJohn Stuart's 1867 "Sculptured Stones of Scotland, Volume II", where the antiquarianMargaret Stokes is recounted as having told her fellow antiquarianGeorge Petrie that the plaque was "fromClonmacnoise —the central seat of art in Ireland— and brought to the Academy from Athlone", and that Petrie believed it to be "1,000 years old."[23] This led to some confusion as to its origin, with some antiquarians believing it had beenrediscovered at Clonmacnoise and others assuming it had been made in Clonmacnois but had a find spot inAthlone,County Westmeath, leading to it often being known as the "Athlone Crucifixion Plaque".[23]
However, according to a November 1861 handwritten record found during the late 20th century in theRoyal Irish Academy's "Book of Inventory", the Rinnegan Plaque is described as having been found "at St. John's, near Athlone", and was acquired on 19 July of that year from "Wm. Sproule, for£8".[23] Although there is little other evidence to associate the plaque with St. John's, the plaque is today usually so-called as St. John's burial ground is located just outside the townland of Rinnagan,County Roscommon.[23]
While the details of its rediscovery are unknown, theiron salt deposits in the hollows of its reverse indicate that it was buried in soil for centuries.[23]
The plaque has suffered considerable damage and would have been far more decorative when first produced.[24] The shine on the copper is somewhat blunted, while much of thegilt has been lost, as is most of Christ's right arm.[4] The tunic was originally lined with interlace and fretwork, which is now lost.[9]
| Extant |
| .jpg) |
|---|---|---|
| Lost | Mayo Plaque | |
| Related | ||
