Rouen (Seine-Maritime) Abbey of St Amand Abbey crosier First half of the 12th century,

Of the pastoral staff which was a symbol of the dignity of the abbess, only the crosier and the metal tip have stood the test of time. Of the long wooden shaft which joined these two elements, nothing remains. The crosier is made of a hollow stem, hexagonal in section, articulated by a knot in the form of a flattened sphere, with severed surfaces, and leaf patterned ring. It is extended by a scroll decorated with foliage motifs in the form of hooks, which turns on itself three times and encloses a quadruped, probably a lion. This type radiating foliage motif enclosing an animal is found on ivories which are very much influenced by the manuscripts of the Winchester school, especially the tau-cross crosier of Jumièges. However, given the many exchanges between the two sides of the Channel when this item was made, it would not be unreasonable to assume that this object was made in a continental workshop.

Dimensions of the object
H. 16.8 cm ;  w. max.  7 cm

Bibliography
- Exhibitions : Trésors des églises de France, Paris, 1965, n° 214 ; Trésors des abbayes normandes, Rouen-Caen 1979, n°272, p.245, 246

Location
Musée départemental des Antiquités de Rouen, Seine-Maritime
inv.  64.2.2

Photography
Yohann Deslandes, Musée des Antiquités de Rouen