A rare French gilt copper and champlevé enamel crozier finial depicting St Michael slaying the devil as a dragon

Limoges, 1220-1230

Footnotes

Provenance
Charles André Stevenin (French, b. 1879, d. Argentina, 1968), probably from the collection with his first wife Marie-Louise Barbet (b. 1886, d. 1934) of the Barbet de Jouy family.
Thence by family descent.
Private Collection, Minneapolis, USA.

Exhibited

"Goldsmithing & Other Applied Arts", National Museum of Decorative Art, Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 1965, Cat. no. 20, collection of André Stévenin.

 

Literature

"Goldsmithing & Other Applied Arts", Exhibition catalogue, National Museum of Decorative Art, Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 1965, Pub. Ministry of Education & Justice, Undersecretariat of Education and General Directorate of Culture, cat. no. 20.

Related literature:

M. M. Gauthier, Emaux limousins champlevés des XIIe, XIIIe et XIVe siècles, Paris, 1950. L'Œuvre de Limoges. Emaux limousins du Moyen Age, cat. exp. (Paris, musée du Louvre, 23 octobre 1995 - 22 janvier 1996 et New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 4 mars - 16 juin 1996), Paris, Réunion des musées nationaux (RMN), 1995, n° 110. M.-M. Gauthier, É. Antoine, and D. Gaborit-Chopin (eds.), Corpus des émaux méridionaux. Tome II. L'apogée 1190-1215, Paris, 2011, pp. 177-203. K. Gamage, « L'usage épiscopale des crosses serpentiformes en émail de l'oeuvre de Limoges (XIIIe siècle). Performance et représentation », Histoire de l'art, 88, 2021-202 

During the early twelfth century, Limoges established itself as the main centre for the production of polychrome enamels. Towards the end of the twelfth century, the evolution of champlevé enamels in this region was fundamentally tied to both the patronage of Plantagenet sovereigns (or Masters of Aquitaine), and the increase in adoration for the cult of saints' relics, as well as a rise in popularity of personal devotional objects. The enamel workshop system was complex, with numerous ateliers active in various locations and all evidently working in a similar style. This can make it challenging to date or attribute Limoges enamels with any certainty. Nonetheless, successive scholars have attempted to group the enamels by examining their shared motifs. In this way, they have identified a stylistic development which emerged between 1150 and 1200.

Although enamel production would later expand into the realm of domestic objects, the main focus originally was upon ceremonial and devotional works of art, of which croziers were among the most important. A crozier, which is a staff surmounted by a spiral or volute finial, is arguably one of the most recognisable religious and symbolic emblems adopted by abbots, bishops and even popes. Its shape is thought to derive from the shepherd's crook. As an ecclesiastical device it originated in the 4th century. However, its use as an insignia evolved over time - first taking the shape of a Tau cross, before becoming more figurative in the 9th century. Aaron's rod (referring to a miracle described in the Old Testament) served as the earliest figural model for croziers. In subsequent years, narrative scenes such as the Annunciation were to adorn the volutes or finials of these slightly later examples.



In examining the subject of St. Michael slaying the dragon (Revelation 12:7–8), which is depicted on the offered lot, a parallel can be drawn between the iconography of this narrative and the role of the individual responsible for bearing such a crozier. In this scene from the Apocalypse, the Archangel St. Michael defeats the demon, which is represented (as was often the case) in the form of a dragon. It is interesting to note that one of the duties of an abbot or a bishop is to dispel the fears and doubts that may trouble the faithful. Thus it would appear that the decoration of this object not only highlights the symbolic significance of such an item, but also reinforces the role of its custodian. 

Among the sixty or so Limoges crozier volutes headed with the vanquishing of the devil by St. Michael, the Archangel is sometimes depicted piercing a dragon represented as a bipedal, wingless lizard. On other models, he is shown attacking the serpent-like stem directly with a spear or a sword. These crozier finials emphasize the confrontation between St. Michael and the ancient serpent, which in turn serve to recall the dragons populating the various legends of saintly bishops.

The present example, as well as the one housed in the Louvre Museum and another comparable at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, share very similar artistic characteristics as those found on crozier heads which are embellished with the serpent alone. All convey a sense of narrative intensity, whilst on each one the background is reticulated, the crest both pronounced and flowing, and the figures' eyes sharply contrasted due to the distinctive use of enamel inlays.

The vivid and naturalistic interpretation of the serpent on such Limoges volutes certainly contributed to their popularity among bishops. The liturgical use of these staffs constitute the most striking aspect of this episcopal appropriation of the insignia - image and ceremonial staging make visible what words can only proclaim. The serpent shaped finials are polysemous and have the advantage of combining multiple references to the church order. Their general form brings to mind the dual nature of Aaron's rod, which can be seen as both a staff and an instrument bearing divine power. Whilst, through their imagery the historic struggle of good against evil is relayed in accordance with a fundamentally Eurocentric set of Christian beliefs and ethical traditions.

The in-scrolled 'shepherd's crook' appearance of each crozier head of this type is meant to evoke a strong reaction among all those who see it, especially any who might view it in a ceremonial setting or within a religious context. But perhaps more than anything, it could be seen to serve as a reminder to others of their 'flock' status within the ecclesiastical hierarchy. And, given the overtly violent nature of the dragon-killing subject matter thereupon portrayed, the holder of a staff surmounted by this kind of finial could be viewed as positioning himself centrally within the story, or indeed the history, of both Christianity and Christian salvation. 

With the focus upon indomitable saintly figures, like the Archangel Michael in this instance, the bearers of such croziers were no doubt meant to feel imbued with a sense of powerful authority, as well as lending them an undoubted aura of righteousness. The impact of this perception and understanding must have been especially significant during the early medieval period, the time in which these wonderful objects were made.

Within the wider group of Limoges croziers, a specific subset of examples depicts Saint Michael slaying a jewelled dragon, its body ornamented with a line of faux turquoise blue enamelled stones, similar to that seen on the present lot. This decorative feature is found on notable pieces held in major museum collections, including: 

• Crozier with Saint Michael and the Serpent – French, Limoges, first half of the 13th century The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England (Acc. M.2-1924) with enamel faux inset turquoise stones (now largely missing) 

• Crozier with Saint Michael and the Serpent – French, Limoges, circa 1220 to 1230 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA (Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917; Acc. 17.190.834a, b) with enamel faux inset turquoise stones (very comparable to our crozier as the snake's head swallowing the wings of Saint Michael). 

• Crozier with Saint Michael and the Serpent – French, Limoges, circa 1210 to 1220 Amiens, musée de Picardie, France, Inv. 992.4.13 

• Crozier with Saint Michael and the Serpent – French, Limoges, circa 1225 to 1235 Musée du Louvre, France, Inv. OA 7286. (very comparable to our crozier as the snake's head swallowing the wings of Saint Michael).

• Crozier with Saint Michael and the Serpent – French, Limoges, circa 1225 to 1250 The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, USA (Acc. 44.294) with enamel faux inset turquoise stones (this example with fewer stones)

A further Limoges crozier featuring Saint Michael and the dragon, circa 1220, is held in the collection of Gloucester Cathedral, England. Presented to the diocese in 1967, this crozier is also decorated with enamel faux inset turquoise stones, although as is typical, several are now lost or damaged. 

The present crozier is not only of distinguished historical importance, but equally its appearance on the art market is a major event for collectors, amateurs and experts. It has remained in the same honorable and illustrious French family for decades