Text and Image

←Previous (Iona, St. Martin's Cross. West Face, top half of shaft)   Next (Iona, St. Oran's Cross, detail on shaft.)→

Monuments: I

1. Iona, St. Matthew's Cross, East face.

Image
RecordAuthor Máirín Mac Carron
ISODate 2002-06-07
Date 7 June 2002
PictureCredit Jane Hawkes
County Argyll, Isle of Mull
Townland Iona
OSMapRef NM 285242 (128525, 724212)
Area Scotland
GeneralContext Broken shaft of cross.
Location west of the west door of the abbey, and south-south-west of St. John's Cross.
GeneralContext Stone type: coarse grey sandstone of greywacke.
Dimensions 1.56m in height, 0.54m in width, and 0.23m in thickness.
GeneralDescription Broken shaft of cross, which is decorated.
GeneralDescription East face. At the base of the cross there is a square panel of diagonal key-ornament.
GeneralDescription East face. The only remaining scene is directly above the square panel. It is of the Temptation of Adam and Eve. The figures are standing on either side of the Tree in the Garden of Eden (Adam is on the right), and they are facing out, using their hands to cover their nakedness. The tail of the serpent is knotted around the root of the tree.

  1. The Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: An Inventory of the Monuments. Vol. 4. Iona. 1, HMSO, Edinburgh (1982) High Cross, Archaeology, Scotland, Iona, Isle of Mull.
  2. Allen, J. R., Anderson, J., The Early Christian Monuments of Scotland, Pinkfoot Press, Balgavies, Angus (1993) Descriptions, Stone, Sculpture, Monuments, Scotland.