Caen (Calvados), church of Holy Peace (Sainte-Paix) Sculpted plaque Second half of the 11th century

This sculpted plaque originates from the church of Sainte-Paix (Caen, Calvados). It was carved in limestone during the second half of the 11^th century (1061).
Christ giving a blessing is seated facing forward; he is dressed in a tunic with sleeves which open out very wide and which is gathered at the waist by a belt. In his left hand, he is holding a book, while his right hand is raised in a gesture of benediction. The features of his face are barely sketched out, and his head protrudes in fairly thick relief on a large cross-bearing halo.
The disposition of the book and posture of the character are reminiscent of Anglo-Saxon influences. 

Dimensions of the object
H. 0.65 m ; l.  0.40 m ; Prof. 0.15 m 

Bibliography
- Baylé M, La sculpture romane en Normandie à l'époque Ducale, Art de Basse-Normandie, n° 92, Printemps 1985
- Caumont A. de, Statistique Monumentale du Calvados, 1857
- Gervais C, Catalogue des descriptions d' objets exposés au musée de la S.A.N., Caen, 1864
- Les Normands, peuple d'Europe, Catalogue de l'exposition, Rome-Venise, 1994 Paris : Flammarion, 1995, p. 491
- Loisel C, Inventaire de la collection lapidaire romane réunie par la Société des Antiquaires de Normandie, Mémoire de maîtrise, Université de Caen, 1972
- Musset L, Normandie Romane, vol. 1, collection La Nuit des Temps, 1967
- Thybert H, Inventaire du lapidaire roman du Musée de Normandie, Association Caen-Archéologie, 1992

Location
Musée de Normandie, Caen, Calvados
DSAN 83 1218 033, Dépôt de la Société des Antiquaires de Normandie