Silver $24.81 Gold $2218.40 Platinum $907.00 Palladium $998.00 Copper $0.25 System is online. The official time is 3/29/2024 5:21:07 AM Current Active Users: 907. →

L'Aigle De Suger by French Art, first half of the 12th century

First half of the 12th century. Porphyry and gilded, 16.9" high.

The Eagle of Suger is deservedly the most famous hard-stone vessel of the Middle Ages, but also the strangest, The body of the bird consists of an amphora of red porphyry onto which a neck, wings, a spread tail and feet of engraved vermeil are attached. This vessel comes from the treasure of the Abbey of Saint-Denis, the richest store of treasures ever assembled in a French monastery.

Its "inventor," Suger, took care to tell us about it in his writings. Suger, Abbe of Saint-Denis, was a dominant personality of the Middle Ages—friend of King Louis VI, Counselor of Louis VII, and regent of the kingdom during the letter's crusade with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

A man of humble origins who achieved supreme honors, he made his abbey a splendid artistic center, regarded by modern critics as a cradle of Gothic art. Hostile to the prohibitions of Saint Bernard, his contemporary, he sought to endow his church with magnificent liturgical vessels, deeming nothing too beautiful for divine services.

It was for this purpose that he had the eagle executed. He rediscovered the long-forgotten porphyry urn in a closet. Enchanted by the gloss and beauty of the stone, and adding a stroke of genius, he had it embellished with this setting of vermeil, thus transforming the old receptacle into an incomparable art object. Astonished by the success of his initiative, he had this inscription engraved in Latin around the neck: "It is with gems and gold that this stone deserves to be enshrined. It was a marble, but now it is more precious than a marble."

The eagle may recall certain Roman or Byzantine images, but the accuracy of the carved feather, the imperial movement of the bird's head, and its imperious gaze make it a work in which the naturalistic traits can be seen a forerunners of Gothic style.
298952
Viewed: Mar 29, 2024
Updated: Dec 29, 2023
Priced: Aug 07, 2022

attach_money

What's It Worth?

Get iGuide’s current market report for just

$5

Get the latest prices, where to sell, best place to buy, and more!


START NOW arrow_forward_ios
school

Ask iGuide

Got a question? ASK NOW
1
How can I help?
Step 1
check_circle_outline
How can I help?
edit

How can we help?

Type your question in the boxes below,

2
Your Contact Info
Step 2
check_circle_outline
Your Contact Info
edit

Your Contact Info

3
Your Mobile Number
Step 3
check_circle_outline
Your Mobile Number
edit

Your Mobile Number

We may contact you via text message. If you don't have a cellphone, click the SKIP button.

4
Success!
Step 4
check_circle_outline
Message received!

Message received!

We have received your message. We will reply as soon as possible. Sometimes we get swamped, so please be patient.
sell

Sell One Like This

Got one of these for sale? SELL IT NOW! GO
add_shopping_cart

Buy One Like This

Looking to buy one of these? We recommend Soldster.com, the world’s fastest growing collectibles marketplace. GO
add_business

I Own This

Manage, Track, and Share your collection GO
analytics

Real Market Data

This is Premium Content. Subscribe to view... SUBSCRIBE NOW
close

Working...