Original scientific paper
Two Limoges medallions in the Treasury of the Dubrovnik Cathedral
Vinicije B. Lupis
orcid.org/0000-0001-8516-9312
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Regional Centre Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Elvis Shala
orcid.org/0000-0002-9026-0193
; Archaeological Institute of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo
Abstract
This paper examines two Limoges medallions from the Treasury of the Dubrovnik Cathedral, which are incorporated into two reliquaries: the reliquary of the arm of St. Fosca (XXVIII) and the reliquary of the arm of St. Lawrence (CLII). Each reliquary features a single enamel medallion crafted in the Limoges workshops (opus lemovicense), which served as a precious appliqué, instead of a gemstone, on the reliquary. This was a very common practice in the export of finished products at the time,
which would then be applied to other works of art. Both arm reliquaries from Dubrovnik belong to the “speaking reliquary” type (German: sprechenden), and were previously dated to the end of the 12th century and the beginning of 13th century. This study however refines the dating of the Limoges medallions to a narrower period, namely from 1180 to 1190. The reliquary of the arm of St. Lawrence was recorded in the earliest preserved inventory of the Treasury of the Dubrovnik Cathedral from 1335. The authors also reviewed other known examples of Limoges art in Croatia and neighbouring regions. The two Limoges medallions from Dubrovnik are particularly valuable examples of the dissemination of artwork from French workshops to the south, and along with the Apulian specimens from Italy, they are the southernmost preserved specimens in the Adriatic basin.
Keywords
Dubrovnik; opus lemovicense; enamel; reliquary; treasury
Hrčak ID:
329741
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2024.
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