St. James the Greater

Object Name
Artist/Maker
Date
1490-1530
Medium
boxwood
Credit Line
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J.H. Wade Fund
Object Number
1961.87
Location
Not currently on display
Institution/Owner

Dimensions

Overall height x width: 5.7 × 4.8 cm (2 1/4 × 1 7/8 in.)

Description

Scenes from the Life of Saint James the Greater from the Golden Legend: Exterior scenes clockwise: Hermogenes flanked by two devils presented to St. James; St James watches Hermogenes, another male figure drop books into basket; Hermogenes and Philetus throw books into sea; St. James preaching; St. James with bound hands being led by Abiathar to Herod; St. James curing man of palsy
Inner lower: St James being presented to Herod

Inner upper scenes clockwise: St. James led by rope; man being beaten; Centre, foreground: St James baptizing Josias; beheading of St. James

Signature, Inscriptions, and Markings

Inscription
Carved Latin inscriptions:

SANCTVS SACRILEGI STAT IVDICIS ANTE TRIBVNAL [around lower scene]

GAV DENSPRO CRISTO IACOBVS SVBDIT CAPVT ENSI [around upper scene]

[source: Cleveland Museum of Art site]

Published References

Emile Molinier and Arthur Pabst, “Les sculptures en buis et pierre de Munich” La Collection Spitzer III (Paris: Maison Quantin, 1891), no. 13; Charles Mannheim, Catalogue des objets d’art et de haute curiosités, antiques, du moyen-âge à la renaissance, composant l’importante et précieuse collection Spitzer, dont la vente publique aura lieu à Paris (Paris: Imprimerie de l’Art, 1893), no. 2135; Charles Mannheim, Catalogue des objets d’art et de haute curiosité … composant la collection de feu M. Charles Stein (Paris, 1899), no. 87; Bourgeois frères sale, 1904: lot 1104;Cleveland Museum of Art, Twelve Additions to the Medieval Treasury (Cleveland: The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Apr. 1972)

Catalogue Raisonné

Romanelli 49

Provenance

Provenance
Frédéric Spitzer, Paris; Charles Stein, Paris; Bourgeois Frères, Cologne; Mrs. Otto Kahn, New York; Joseph Brummer, New York; Blumka Gallery, New York
Previous Owner(s)
Frédéric Spitzer
Charles Stein
Bourgeois Frères
Otto H. Kahn
Joseph Brummer Collection

Subjects

The online catalogue raisonné and digital photography made possible through the generous support of Thomson Works of Art