A GERMAN LATE GOTHIC PARCEL-GILT STATUETTE OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER ON RELIQUARY BASE Dated 1493, probably Augsburg The Saint shown wading through the turbulent river holding in his left hand a rough staff, his right arm resting on his hip, and wearing a gilt tunic and billowing cloak with parcel-gilt lining, supporting on his right shoulder the Christ Child who holds, with His left Hand, a knot of the Saint's hair, while His right Hand is raised in blessing, the hexagonal reliquary base engraved around the shoulder with Latin inscription with applied foliage at intervals and resting on six plinth feet, each surmounted by architectural column, with foliage and scroll braces and pendant gothic foliage between, the plain band above engraved with name and initials, the reliquary contained within three glazed panels applied with tied scrolling foliage wreaths and the seated figure of the Christ Child, with the figure of an abbot above a coat-of-arms, and the figure of Saint George in armour standing beneath canopies between (now without a third figure - that of Saint Lawrence, two coats of arms and one of the Christ Child figures from a glazed panel as well as other losses). 18½ in. (47 cm.) high Gross weight 91 oz. (2,838 gr.) The one remaining coat-of-arms on the base is that of the Monastery of Kaiserheim, surmounted by a standing figure which has been identified as Abbot George Kastner (Fritz, op. cit. , fig. 731). Fortunately, when the figure of Saint Christopher was exhibited in the 1901 Burlington Fine Arts Club, the one lost figure from the base was identified as Saint Lawrence and the two coats-of-arms now missing were then present and were blazoned thus: Argent, a bend cotised gules between two mullets sable, which is almost certainly a misreading of the arms of Kastner, for the Abbot. His correct arms are argent, a bow between two mullets sable or, An eagle double headed, displayed sable, for the Holy Roman Empire. The Latin inscription around the top of the reliquary base reads: CHRISTOFERE. SANCTE. V'TVTES. SVT. T'.TANTE G.A.K.D.W. (=Georg Abbas Kaiserheimensis Dei Vavassor?) QVI. TE. MANE. VIDET. TEMP'OE. NOCTNO. R'DET. 1.4.9.3. A.M.K. (= Adam Mendlin Kustos). The initials G.A.K.D.W. have been variously interpreted. One suggestion was as above (1965 Augsburg Exhibition Catalogue, op. cit. ). An earlier interpretation was that the initials were abbreviations for Georg Abt. Kaiserheim Donau Worth and Abbatiae Monasterii Kaisariensis (Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1906, op. cit. ) The town of Dönauworth is a few kilometres from the Monastery. On a lower band are engraved the initials F.H.Z.S. (= Friedrich Herzog zu Sachsen) and name CHRISTOF, HERZOG (= Christoph, Duke of Bavaria-Munich). A loose translation reads: Saint Christopher your virtues are so strong, George Abbot of Kaiserheim vassal of God [?], that those who see you in the morning can smile at night. 1493 Adam Mendlin custodian
A GERMAN LATE GOTHIC PARCEL-GILT STATUETTE OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER ON RELIQUARY BASE Dated 1493, probably Augsburg The Saint shown wading through the turbulent river holding in his left hand a rough staff, his right arm resting on his hip, and wearing a gilt tunic and billowing cloak with parcel-gilt lining, supporting on his right shoulder the Christ Child who holds, with His left Hand, a knot of the Saint's hair, while His right Hand is raised in blessing, the hexagonal reliquary base engraved around the shoulder with Latin inscription with applied foliage at intervals and resting on six plinth feet, each surmounted by architectural column, with foliage and scroll braces and pendant gothic foliage between, the plain band above engraved with name and initials, the reliquary contained within three glazed panels applied with tied scrolling foliage wreaths and the seated figure of the Christ Child, with the figure of an abbot above a coat-of-arms, and the figure of Saint George in armour standing beneath canopies between (now without a third figure - that of Saint Lawrence, two coats of arms and one of the Christ Child figures from a glazed panel as well as other losses). 18½ in. (47 cm.) high Gross weight 91 oz. (2,838 gr.) The one remaining coat-of-arms on the base is that of the Monastery of Kaiserheim, surmounted by a standing figure which has been identified as Abbot George Kastner (Fritz, op. cit. , fig. 731). Fortunately, when the figure of Saint Christopher was exhibited in the 1901 Burlington Fine Arts Club, the one lost figure from the base was identified as Saint Lawrence and the two coats-of-arms now missing were then present and were blazoned thus: Argent, a bend cotised gules between two mullets sable, which is almost certainly a misreading of the arms of Kastner, for the Abbot. His correct arms are argent, a bow between two mullets sable or, An eagle double headed, displayed sable, for the Holy Roman Empire. The Latin inscription around the top of the reliquary base reads: CHRISTOFERE. SANCTE. V'TVTES. SVT. T'.TANTE G.A.K.D.W. (=Georg Abbas Kaiserheimensis Dei Vavassor?) QVI. TE. MANE. VIDET. TEMP'OE. NOCTNO. R'DET. 1.4.9.3. A.M.K. (= Adam Mendlin Kustos). The initials G.A.K.D.W. have been variously interpreted. One suggestion was as above (1965 Augsburg Exhibition Catalogue, op. cit. ). An earlier interpretation was that the initials were abbreviations for Georg Abt. Kaiserheim Donau Worth and Abbatiae Monasterii Kaisariensis (Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1906, op. cit. ) The town of Dönauworth is a few kilometres from the Monastery. On a lower band are engraved the initials F.H.Z.S. (= Friedrich Herzog zu Sachsen) and name CHRISTOF, HERZOG (= Christoph, Duke of Bavaria-Munich). A loose translation reads: Saint Christopher your virtues are so strong, George Abbot of Kaiserheim vassal of God [?], that those who see you in the morning can smile at night. 1493 Adam Mendlin custodian
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
