Vol. 38 Abstracts

Vol. 38 Abstracts

Elizabeth FREEMAN

The thirteenth-century Avvocati funerary monument in the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Como (Lombardy), Italy, and the office of the bishop

At the end of the Duecento, episcopal office had a bearing on the conception of bishops’ tombs, as illustrated by the funerary monument in the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Como (Lombardy), which bears the coat of arms of the Avvocati family. Whereas previous scholarship has concentrated on iconographically more sophisticated monuments, this tomb, which displays an intermingling of episcopal and dynastic elements, remains largely unexplored. Despite its apparently straightforward imagery and the limited vocabulary of decorative features used, the tomb attests boldly to the power the bishop commanded. In this paper the common assumption that Giovanni Avvocati (bishop of Como 1275–1293) was the tomb’s original occupant is called into question. The tomb may more plausibly be interpreted as having been commissioned on the death of Leone Avvocati (1259–61); it is argued that the purpose of the monument was to commemorate the entire clan rather than just an individual bishop.

Keith DOWEN

‘Of Armed Alabaster’: The Effigy and Funeral Hearse of Sir John Marmion (d. 1387) at West Tanfield (North Yorkshire)

The tomb of Sir John Marmion (d. 1387) and Elizabeth St Quintin (d. c.1400) at St Nicholas’s Church in West Tanfield (North Yorkshire) features one of the finest examples of a knightly effigy of the late fourteenth century. Although appearing in a number of publications it has never been the subject of its own dedicated study. This is particularly surprising given the presence of the rare medieval funerary hearse placed over it, which likewise has received comparatively little attention until now. Made separately and prior to that of his wife, this article will focus on the history and design of Sir John Marmion’s effigy and will look in detail at his status, both as a knight and a member of John of Gaunt’s Lancastrian affinity, and in particular at the equipment he is shown wearing. By examining these alongside a range of primary sources, this article will delve into the world of the late fourteenth-century knight.

Teresa SOLEY

The founders’ new tombs (1526) in the convent of Santa Clara, Vila do Conde, Portugal

The fourteenth-century tombs of Afonso Sanches and Teresa Martins de Meneses, the royal founders of the Portuguese convent of Santa Clara in Vila do Conde, were replaced by new monuments in 1526. Profusely decorated with fashionable all’antica ornamentation, their composition and iconography nonetheless evoked medieval models, deviating from the artistic conventions associated with retrospective tombs. Although frequently noted as significant works of Portuguese Renaissance sculpture, these extraordinary monuments have never been the subject of critical analysis. This article re-examines and re-contextualises them, and their medieval antecedents, within Portugal’s rich tradition of funerary sculpture. Reviewing the evidence related to the creation of both the original fourteenth-century tombs and their sixteenth-century replacements, it sheds light upon their creation and afterlife and proposes an attribution to the workshop of local sculptor Diogo Pires the Younger.

Jean L. WILSON

Not a leg to stand on: the monument to Robert Pierrepont (d. 1669) in the Borbach Chantry at West Dean (Wiltshire)

The startling monument to Robert Pierrepont (d. 1669) at West Dean (Wiltshire) is unconventional both visually and textually. It uses old-fashioned tropes, but in a contemporary manner, and incorporates both painting and sculpture in a variety of materials.

Mark STOCKER

New Zealand’s recumbent effigy: the Bishop Harper memorial in ChristChurch Cathedral, Christchurch

New Zealand’s sole monument with a recumbent effigy commemorates Henry John Chitty Harper (1804­–93), the first Anglican bishop of Christchurch and primate of New Zealand. Following his death, ChristChurch Cathedral sought a suitable memorial. Initially opinions favoured finishing the cathedral building in Harper’s honour, but this idea was soon rejected as too impersonal and expensive. The Christchurch architect Benjamin Mountfort then made designs for a gateway housing Harper’s statue and a memorial chapel inside the cathedral. These were also rejected; the eventual solution was for an effigy of Harper on a Gothic Revival tomb chest, temporarily installed in the south aisle. The British sculptor Francis John Williamson was commissioned for the effigy and Mountfort for the tomb chest. Harper’s memorial was unveiled in November 1897 to considerable acclaim. It subsequently withstood two moves within the cathedral as well as the impact of the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010­–12 and their aftermath.