224:
types of medieval metalwork, at least for religious chasses; over 700 medieval
Limoges chasses survive, often in very good condition. In the earlier examples only the figures and decorative roundels were enamelled, but in the 13th century this was usually reversed, with an enamelled background, generally dominated by blue, and figures just engraved and gilded. A group from the end of the 12th century with some sixty survivals have enamelled figures and "vermiculated" gilded backgrounds "incised in a pattern of densely interwoven vine scrolls and tendrils". Often, as in the examples illustrated, the heads alone were modelled in relief, but sometimes whole figures, usually by hammering from behind into a mould. After several decades they were being produced by workshops in large numbers, using standard patterns, and could be afforded by relatively small parish churches.
392:
439:
470:
380:
35:
427:
20:
368:
228:
46:
407:
486:
454:
361:, enabling purchasers to identify them with whatever saints they chose, or needed to match their relics. The most elaborate designs usually only appear on the front and sides; the rear faces, usually not visible, are typically more simply decorated with geometric patterns or beasts in roundels rather than figure compositions.
223:
Though still luxury products, enamel chasses were cheap compared to a custom-made object from a goldsmith, and the effect impressive and colourful. The solidity of the boxes, and the difficulty of recovering the relatively low value of the gold used, has meant a high survival rate compared to other
73:
and other containers. To the modern eye the form resembles a house, though a tomb or church was more the intention, with an oblong base, straight sides and two sloping top faces meeting at a central ridge, often marked by a raised strip and decoration. From the sides there are therefore triangular
215:
were nailed with pins with rounded gilt heads. The flat panels were fired before the box was assembled around the wooden core, using "assembling marks" on the wood and the rear of the metal plates. In the late 14th century a new all-metal method of construction was developed, with chasses "fitted
137:. Regardless of the form used, the term in English is normally only used of "house"-shaped boxes, usually enamelled ones, whereas in French it is a general term for reliquaries with a box, "shrine" or casket form, of any shape, and tends to be used especially for larger examples.
77:
The casket usually stands on straight stumpy feet, and there is a hinged opening to allow access, either one of the panels, but not on the front face, or the wooden bottom; there is usually a lock. The shape possibly developed from a similar shape of
148:, but these featured elaborate three-dimensional decoration, with gold or silver-gilt the predominant impression. These are less often described as chasses in English, though they are likely to be so termed in French, where the term
239:
The shape was used for other purposes, and secular designs were made, although far fewer of these have survived. The enamel workshops modified their style slightly to reflect the coming of
818:
220:". There were sometimes gems, usually in fact made of glass, set on the faces, and especially into the roof-ridge, which often has finials and a row of keyhole shaped openings.
406:
180:
process, and enabled much larger surfaces to be covered in a single firing. The enamel chasse was developed to exploit these new possibilities. By the 12th century, the
330:
in London. Becket's body was carefully preserved, but pieces of his clothes and other possessions were treated as relics, and were deliberately widely distributed by
469:
243:, and were still producing chasses in the 14th century and beyond, although quality had by now fallen somewhat, and the best quality enamel work was now in the new
265:" since 1150, but the city had annoyed the Black Prince by surrendering to the French earlier, and 3,000 of the citizens are said to have been killed in the sack.
140:
The chasse shape was also used for most of the much larger, and far grander, reliquary shrines made by goldsmiths for cathedrals and great monasteries, like the
379:
762:
391:
438:
453:
307:
in 1164; It has been suggested that fragments of the old stone Milan shrine were treated as relics, explaining the demand for Magi reliquaries.
830:
879:
738:
105:
is typical of these, having four sloping panels above, so no "gables". A 13th-century example of the fully-sloping type is the chasse of
367:
322:
in 1173, and became a very common subject on chasses, with 52 surviving, usually showing his burial above and murder below, as in the
682:
426:
715:
733:
698:
141:
676:
753:
725:
690:
678:
Western
Decorative Arts: Medieval, Renaissance, and historicizing styles, including metalwork, enamels, and ceramics
295:
on the main face, the latter featuring on some 26 Limoges chasses. Their three bodies had been "rediscovered" near
795:
203:, which probably helped distribution. These were made round a wooden core, usually consisting of seven pieces of
869:
357:, its first bishop, are also represented on chasses. Figures of saints on chasses often lack identifying
789:
826:
345:, and has 22 surviving chasses showing her life, reflecting her popularity in the region; the lives of
807:
J. P. O'Neill and T. Egan, eds., Enamels of
Limoges, 1100-1350 (Metropolitan Museum of Art), Yale 1996
300:
157:
854:
315:
254:
884:
859:
34:
785:
291:
176:
enamel technique made enamel decoration far easier and so cheaper than the previous fiddly
145:
8:
874:
864:
705:Émaux méridionaux: Catalogue international de l'oeuvre de Limoges - Tome I: Epoque romane
285:
249:
technique. Production was already in decline, but the industry never recovered from the
184:
chasse had become popular as a relatively cheap form for reliquaries, especially for the
94:
19:
612:
611:"V&A plaque", with latest count; Binski, 225, with a catalogue entry on one in the
338:
227:
102:
749:
729:
721:
694:
686:
350:
304:
275:
774:
250:
200:
398:
129:
In
English the word may or may not be italicised, and if it is may use the French
106:
45:
185:
460:
262:
181:
156:-sized reliquaries. In larger chasses the shape may be more complex, as in the
110:
87:
38:
23:
273:
Many enamel chasses had static subjects including angels, standing saints and
848:
417:
413:
354:
346:
327:
323:
311:
280:
279:, but narrative subjects were also popular, including the story of the Three
232:
485:
758:
319:
245:
83:
50:
177:
173:
258:
153:
90:
79:
70:
779:
331:
240:
196:
130:
27:
416:, c. 1180-1190, Limoges, with the popular subject of the martyrdom of
475:
Later French reliquary; certainly a house, but perhaps not a chasse
385:
Example with vermiculated gilded background, and enamelled figures.
217:
616:
445:
342:
212:
189:
161:
113:(see gallery of images, below). The word derives, via the French
98:
41:
example of the first style with the figures enamelled, and gems.
358:
208:
207:
which were primed and painted, to which fairly thin sheets of
668:
Binski, Paul in: Jonathan
Alexander & Paul Binski (eds),
296:
819:"Champlevé enamelling 1100–1250 (with video of technique)"
717:
Reading medieval images: the art historian and the object
524:
204:
16:
Shape commonly used in medieval metalwork for reliquaries
459:
Very elaborate French 13th-century chasse reliquary of
712:
Valerie's Gift: A Narrative Enamel Chasse from
Limoges
672:, Royal Academy/Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1987
670:
Age of
Chivalry, Art in Plantagenet England, 1200-1400
334:
to promote his cult from the 1170s until about 1220.
216:
together by an ingenious system of slots, lugs, and
69:is a shape commonly used in medieval metalwork for
846:
770:Quantity Production of Limoges Champlevé Enamels
373:Early 13th-century chasse used to hold holy oils
299:in 1158, and were translated to the magnificent
192:and Spain, which were exported all over Europe.
164:, which has "side-roofs" like an aisled church.
101:("book-shrines"), with similar shapes. The
746:The Oxford Companion to the Decorative Arts
489:Enamelled panels from a disassembled chasse
796:Plaque showing murder of St Thomas Becket
683:National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
566:Distelberger, 21 (quoted); Osbourne, 333
484:
226:
44:
33:
18:
710:Hahn, Cynthia. in Sears E. and others,
318:, in 1170, was rapidly followed by his
26:chasse, c. 1200, with the story of the
847:
720:, University of Michigan Press, 2002,
681:, Catalogue of the collections of the
544:
542:
502:
500:
498:
142:Reliquary Shrine of Saint Eleutherius
685:, Oxford University Press US, 1993,
655:Distelberger, 21. See also Sotheby's
515:Distelberger, 19. See also Sotheby's
880:Medieval European metalwork objects
539:
495:
13:
801:
235:'s murder below, and burial above.
211:decorated in champlevé enamel and
124:
14:
896:
811:
432:Limoges, with apostles and angels
468:
452:
437:
425:
405:
390:
378:
366:
778:, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Sep., 1935),
703:Gauthier M-M. and François G.,
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640:
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622:
605:
596:
587:
257:. Limoges had been part of the
195:Limoges was on one of the main
578:
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560:
551:
530:
518:
509:
167:
93:, where there are a number of
1:
823:History, Periods & Styles
662:
283:, usually in two scenes, the
790:Victoria & Albert Museum
7:
444:Gothic goldsmith's chasse,
268:
10:
901:
827:Victoria and Albert Museum
575:V&A; Osbourne, 332-333
301:Shrine of the Three Kings
201:to Santiago de Compostela
158:Shrine of the Three Kings
768:Stohlman, W. Frederick,
480:
316:Archbishop of Canterbury
255:Edward, the Black Prince
397:13th-century Chasse of
251:sack of Limoges in 1370
172:The development of the
152:mostly refers to large
744:Osborne, Harold (ed),
675:Distelberger, Rudolf.
490:
337:The otherwise obscure
236:
54:
42:
31:
870:Christian reliquaries
765:, sold in Paris, 2007
488:
292:Adoration of the Magi
253:by the English under
230:
48:
37:
22:
739:Hermitage exhibition
146:cathedral of Tournai
95:house-shaped shrines
593:Distelberger, 21-22
286:Journey of the Magi
613:Burrell Collection
491:
237:
103:Monymusk Reliquary
82:that goes back to
55:
49:Detail showing a "
43:
32:
794:"V&A plaque"
763:St Valerie chasse
734:978-0-472-06751-0
699:978-0-521-47068-1
536:Osbourne, 332-333
351:Limoges Cathedral
305:Cologne Cathedral
276:Christ in Majesty
121:, meaning "box".
117:, from the Latin
97:, reliquaries or
892:
841:
839:
838:
829:. Archived from
786:Reliquary chasse
775:The Art Bulletin
656:
653:
647:
646:Distelberger, 22
644:
638:
635:
629:
628:"V&A plaque"
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506:Distelberger, 21
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382:
370:
188:caskets made in
900:
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855:Vitreous enamel
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817:
814:
804:
802:Further reading
741:, St Petersberg
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463:, Évreux (Eure)
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410:
401:
395:
386:
383:
374:
371:
349:, dedicatee of
271:
170:
127:
125:Use of the term
74:"gable" areas.
17:
12:
11:
5:
898:
888:
887:
885:Limoges enamel
882:
877:
872:
867:
862:
860:Romanesque art
857:
843:
842:
813:
812:External links
810:
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602:Gaulthier, 101
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365:
328:V&A Museum
310:The murder of
270:
267:
263:Angevin Empire
169:
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126:
123:
111:Limoges enamel
88:Early Medieval
24:Limoges enamel
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
897:
886:
883:
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833:on 2010-05-10
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754:0-19-866113-4
751:
748:, 1975, OUP,
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731:
727:
726:0-472-06751-6
723:
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691:0-521-47068-4
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584:Osbourne, 333
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572:
563:
557:Stohlman, 390
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499:
494:
487:
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418:Thomas Becket
415:
414:Becket Casket
408:
403:
400:
399:Saint Exupère
393:
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376:
369:
364:
363:
362:
360:
356:
355:Saint Martial
352:
348:
347:Saint Stephen
344:
340:
339:Saint Valerie
335:
333:
329:
325:
324:Becket Casket
321:
317:
313:
312:Thomas Becket
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281:Biblical Magi
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233:Thomas Becket
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107:Saint Exupère
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68:
67:box reliquary
64:
60:
52:
47:
40:
36:
29:
25:
21:
835:. Retrieved
831:the original
822:
773:
769:
745:
716:
711:
707:, Paris 1987
704:
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651:
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607:
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461:Saint Taurin
336:
320:canonisation
309:
290:
284:
274:
272:
246:basse-taille
244:
238:
231:Chasse with
222:
194:
171:
149:
139:
134:
128:
118:
114:
84:Etruscan art
76:
66:
62:
58:
56:
53:" background
51:vermiculated
259:Plantaganet
168:Development
154:sarcophagus
91:Insular art
80:sarcophagus
71:reliquaries
875:Gothic art
865:Containers
849:Categories
837:2011-04-03
784:"V&A"
663:References
527:, "Chasse"
359:attributes
341:came from
332:Canterbury
289:above and
241:the Gothic
182:Romanesque
131:circumflex
86:, or from
28:Three Magi
788:from the
759:Sotheby's
548:Hermitage
218:dovetails
186:enamelled
178:cloisonné
174:champlevé
637:Hahn, 15
269:Subjects
99:cumdachs
617:Glasgow
446:Cologne
343:Limoges
326:in the
213:gilding
199:routes
197:pilgrim
190:Limoges
162:Cologne
144:in the
39:Limoges
752:
732:
724:
697:
689:
209:copper
150:châsse
135:châsse
115:châsse
63:châsse
59:chasse
780:JSTOR
714:, in
481:Notes
297:Milan
119:capsa
750:ISBN
730:ISBN
722:ISBN
695:ISBN
687:ISBN
412:The
353:and
65:or
615:in
525:OED
303:in
205:oak
160:in
109:in
851::
825:.
821:.
772:,
761:,
728:,
693:,
541:^
497:^
314:,
133::
61:,
57:A
840:.
619:.
420:.
261:"
30:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
