Decade Rosary

Object Name
Artist/Maker
Object Type
Date
1509-1526
Medium
boxwood
Credit Line
Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth
Object Number
EXH.111926
Location
Not currently on display
Institution/Owner

Dimensions

Overall (length, diameter): 472mm × 57mm (47.2 × 5.7 cm)
Overall (diameter of ave bead): 38mm (3.8 cm)

Description

Paternoster: Mass of St Gregory (upper), Virgin of the Apocalypse (lower), Ten Ave Beads, Crucifix, and Finger Ring. All the beads have faceted exteriors
Top row of outer roundels on paternoster: Circumcision; Confession; angel musicians
Middle row of outer roundels: arms of England; Cleansing of Naaman (2 scenes); resurrected figures
Bottom row of outer roundels: Trajan and widow; Almsgiving; Christ and woman taken in adultery; baptism; resurrected figures
bead I: St. Matthew and Habakkuk: Last Judgement; Judgement of Solomon
bead II: St. John: infant Christ seated between angels; God in Majesty; Habakkuk feeding Daniel in lion's den
bead III: St James the Greater and Isaiah: Annunciation, Nativity; martyrdom of Isaiah
bead IV: St Bartholomew and Amos: Ascension, Transfiguration, Murder of Amos
bead V: St Thomas and Jonah: Christ leaving tomb; Elijah raising widow's son; Death
bead VI: St Andrew and David: Crucifixion; Entombment; David dancing before ark
bead VII: St Simon and Jeremiah: Members of church; martyrdom of Jeremiah ?
bead VIII: St. Philip and Zachariah: Harriowng of Hell; Hell; martyrdom of Zachariah
bead IX: St Peter and Moses: Creation of Heavens; Moses receiving law; Christ Child in rayed sun
bead X: St James the Lesser and Joel: Descent of Holy Ghost; Baptism of Christ

Signature, Inscriptions, and Markings

Inscription
Carved Latin inscriptions on ave beads are on large scrolls in upper case held by apostles and prophets, who are identified by small scrolls in lower case; some have scrolls held by sibyls. Source for inscriptions, Romanelli. Romanelli does not give inscriptions for top, bottom rows of the outer Paternoster] :

Paternoster, 3 rows of 8 roundels , outer middle row:
[b] judas [smalls scroll] REMISSIONE' PECCATORVM [large scroll]
[d] SEPTIES LAVARE IN IORDANE 4 reg. 5 [4 Kings 5:10]
[e] he 8 k a [near arms: Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon]
[f] math [small scroll] CARNIS RESVR' Z VITA ETERNA

Paternoster, inner upper: O FILI DEI PASSIO FERTILIS SID NOBIS REMISSIO

Paternoster, inner lower: MULIER AMICTA SOLI ET LUNA SVB PEDIBUS EIVS [Apocalypse 12:1]

POSVI DEVM ADIVTORIVM MEVM
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE [both on bezel of bead]

bead I: INDE VENTVR E' IVDICARE VIVOS MORTVO [St. Matthew]
mathe'
IPSE INTER FRATRES DIVIDET ozee 13 [Hosea 13:15]
ozee
secreta at' de' relerabit pectora lu [sibyl]

[bead II] ET IN IHM XPM FILIV' EI VINCV' dominum nostru [St. John]
EXVLTABO IN DEO IESV MEO abac 3 [Habakkuk 3:18]
abacue

[bead III] QVI CVNCEPTVS E DE SPM' SAC'TO natus ex maria virgine [St. James]
iacob'
ECCE VIRGO CONCIPIET PARIET FI esa 7 [Isaiah 7:14]
esayas

[bead IV] ASCENDIT IN CELOS SEDET AD DEXTER' dei pris omnipot [St. Bartholomew]
b'thome'
EDIFICAT IN CELO ASCENSIONE' SVAM am' 9 [Amos 9:6]
amos

[bead V] TERCIA DIE RESVRREXIT A MORTVIS [St. Thomas]
thomas
EVOVMVIT IONAM I ARIDAM jone 2 [Jonah 2:11]

[bead VI] PASS' SVB PONCIO PILATO CRVCIFIX' mortuus et sepultus [St. Andrew]
EGO SVM VERMIS Z NON HOMO ps 21 [King David - source: Psalm 21:7]
david

[bead VII] SCAM ECCLESIA' CATHOLICA' SATORV CO' 10 [St. Simon]
symon
CONSVMMABO TESTAMENTV NOVV ihe 31 [Jeremiah - source: Hebrews 8:8]
ihereias
jam nova pgenies celo demitti alto [sibyl]

[bead VIII] DESCENDIT AD INFERNA [St. Philip]
phs
EDVSIT VINCTOS DE LACV zacha 9 [Zachariah 9:11]
zachariah

[bead IX] CREDO IN DEV' PREM OMNIPOTETE' creatorem celi et terre [St. Peter]
pieter
AVDI YSRAEL DMS DEVS TV' VM' E' VII deuter [Moses - source: Deuteronomy 6:3]
mosy
deus lux est et tenebre in es no sinit ulle [Christ Child]

[bead X] CREDO IN SPIRITVM SANCTVM [St. James the Lesser]
jacob mi'
EFFVNDAM DE SPIRITV MEO SR' OMN CARIVE johel 2 [Joel 2:28]
johel
quomo put hec fieri autycode [sibyl]
Markings
Mark on middle row of out roundel, Paternoster: Royal Arms of England

Published References

Ellis, Lisa and Suda, Sasha (Eds). (2016). Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures, exhibition catalogue, 5 November 2016 - 22 January 2017. Toronto, ON: Art Gallery of Ontario. [p. 28, 72, 73, 76, 78]

James Gow Mann, Catalogue of an Exhibition of Gothic Art in Europe (c. 1200-c. 1500) (London: Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1936); Joan Evans, A History of Jewellery 1100-1870 (London: Faber and Faber, 1970); Richard Marks, Two Early Sixteenth Century Boxwood Carvings Associated with the Glymes Family of Bergen op Zoom (Oud Holland, 91, 1977, pp 131-142)

Catalogue Raisonné

Romanelli 15

Provenance

Provenance
Henry VIII of England; Bishop of Aachen; Père de la Chaise (1624-1709), Paris; Père Gabriel Brotier (1723-1789), Paris
Previous Owner(s)
Henry VIII of England
Bishop of Aachen
Père de la Chaise
Père Gabriel Brotier

Subjects

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