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Title

Processional Cross

Generic classification
Goldsmithing
Object
Cross
Date
ca. 1450
Century
Mid 15th c.
Cultural context / style
Gothic
Dimensions
39 x 17 in.
Material
Wood, Silver
Technique
Hammered, Sculpted, Enameled, Engraving, Incising, Embossed
Iconography / Theme
Crucifixión, Cruz
Provenance
Burgos Cathedral (Burgos, Spain)
Current location
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, United States)
Inventory Number in Current Collection
M27e12
Object history

According to existing documentation, this processional cross comes from the cathedral of Burgos and was sold by the antique dealer Èmile Parès in July 1906 for 10,000 pesetas. Isabella Stewart Gardner bought it from the dealer along with the alabaster recumbent that is also in the museum.

Description

This processional cross is made of gilded silver on a wooden core and sits on a two-tiered base. It features a crucifix and a short staff. The four arms of the cross are designed in the shape of a Greek cross and house enameled images of the Virgin and St. John the Baptist, among others. Both the first and second levels of the base show delicate carved reliefs and openings that allow for the placement of more enameled figures, evoking the appearance of a small cathedral. The piece rests on a support covered with red brocade fabric with floral motifs.

Locations
* The relative location of dealers, antique shops, art galleries, and collectors leads us to the places where they were based or had one of their main headquarters. However, this does not always indicate that every artwork that passed through their hands was physically located there. In the case of antique dealers and art merchants, their business often extended across multiple territories; sometimes they would purchase items at their origin and send them directly to clients. Similarly, some collectors owned multiple residences, sometimes in different countries, where they housed their collections. It is often difficult to determine exactly where a specific piece was kept during its time in their possession. Consequently, the main location of the dealer or collector is indicated. These factors should be considered when interpreting the map. Refer to the object's history in each case.
Bibliography
  • Alan Chong y Giovanna De Appolonia (2001): The Art of the Cross: Medieval and Renaissance Piety in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, pp. 16, 19, 20, 26, il. 27-28.
  • Gilbert Wendel Longstreet y Morris Carter (1935): General Catalogue, Boston, p. 235.
  • Ronald Hilton (1956): Handbook of Hispanic Source Materials and Research Organizations in the United States, Standford, California, p. 196.
Citation:

Ana Diéguez Rodríguez and Isabel Escalera Fernández, "Processional Cross" in Nostra et Mundi. Cultural Heritage from Castile and Leon around the world, Fundación Castilla y León, 2025. https://inventario.nostraetmundi.com/en/work/252

Processional Cross

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Processional Cross

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Processional Cross

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