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Monuments: D

1. Durham

Image
RecordAuthor Máirín Mac Carron
ISODate 2002-07-26
Date 26 July 2002
PictureCredit Jane Hawkes
County Durham
Townland Durham
OSMapRef NZ 275425
Area England
GeneralContext Cross head fragment.
Location Durham Cathedral.
Dimensions 64cm (25.25'') high, 84.5cm (33.25'') wide, and 15.9cm (6.25'') thick.
GeneralContext Stone type: coarse-grained, massive yellow/grey sandstone.
GeneralDescription Cross head fragment, dated to second quarter of eleventh century.
GeneralDescription This is encircled by an internal fine roll moulding along the upper arm and half-way along the horizontal arms.
GeneralDescription The centre of the cross has a Lamb surrounded by a roll moulding. The Lamb faces left and its right foot is raised and resting on a rectangular object. In front of its neck there is a circular object, and behind its body there is a shafted cross, set in a base decorated with grooved double mouldings. He is possibly the Lamb of the Apocalypse, New Testament, Revelations 22:1 (Hawkes).
GeneralDescription In the upper arm there is a winged figure, facing out. He has a wedge-shaped head and surrounding it is a detached halo with curling ends or hair. He has two pairs of wings, and there may be a short right arm held across his chest. He is wearing a short tunic with a flaring hem. On either side of his head there are two detached human heads facing outwards. At his feet there are two raised triangular features.
GeneralDescription On the left arm there is a smaller winged creature, facing out, in the centre of the arm. On the right there are two busts of angels, the one above possibly holding a book, and the one below a scroll. On the left there is a similar winged bust, and above, a bird or beast.
GeneralDescription On the right arm, the figure in the centre is frontal and winged. It has a beast's head of canine type, facing left. Its tongue encircles its body and disappears behind its wing. On the top right there is an angel holding a scroll, and on the bottom right a bird possibly holding a book. On the left there is what may be another angel, and a strange monkey-like creature.

  1. Cramp, Rosemary, County Durham and Northumberland. Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture Series1st, Oxford University Press, Oxford. (1984) Stones, Sculpture, Churches, Anglo-Saxons, England..