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Source Description
Commissioned by Countess Gertrude of Brunswick, this portable altar is one of the Guelph Treasure’s earliest and most sumptuous objects. The choice of white-speckled porphyry as the altar stone signals Gertrude’s worldly aspirations; an imperial color since classical antiquity, porphyry was only used by the imperial family. Historical figures of royal and imperial rank are depicted with Christ, the Virgin, apostles, and archangels along the altar’s sides, stressing the countess’s political ambitions and claim of imperial lineage for her own dynasty. The Latin inscription surrounding the altar stone reads, "Gertrude offers to Christ, to live joyfully in him, this stone that glistens with gems and gold."
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
112877
label
Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
112877
contentType
object
title
Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude
description
Commissioned by Countess Gertrude of Brunswick, this portable altar is one of the Guelph Treasure’s earliest and most sumptuous objects. The choice of white-speckled porphyry as the altar stone signals Gertrude’s worldly aspirations; an imperial color since classical antiquity, porphyry was only used by the imperial family. Historical figures of royal and imperial rank are depicted with Christ, the Virgin, apostles, and archangels along the altar’s sides, stressing the countess’s political ambitions and claim of imperial lineage for her own dynasty. The Latin inscription surrounding the altar stone reads, "Gertrude offers to Christ, to live joyfully in him, this stone that glistens with gems and gold."
date
shortly after 1038
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60750908
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 10.5 x 27.5 x 21 cm (4 1/8 x 10 13/16 x 8 1/4 in.)
cul
Germany, Lower Saxony?, Romanesque period, 11th century
accession
1931.462.a
Source extras
tec
gold, cloisonné enamel, porphyry, gems, pearls, niello, wood core
tombstone
Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude, shortly after 1038. Germany, Lower Saxony?, Romanesque period, 11th century. Gold, cloisonné enamel, porphyry, gems, pearls, niello, wood core; overall: 10.5 x 27.5 x 21 cm (4 1/8 x 10 13/16 x 8 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1931.462.a
collection
MED - Romanesque
inscriptions
inscription
translation of inscription: In order to live happily in Him, Gertrude presented to Christ this stone glistening with precious stones.
formerAccessionNumbers
234.1931
345.1931
didYouKnow
On the bottom of this altar is a trap door that opened to reveal small relics of saints wrapped in silk.
citations
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook.</em> Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 95
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 45
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 45
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 50
citation
May, Sally Ruth, Jane Takac, and Barbara J. Bradley. <em>Knockouts: A Pocket Guide. </em>Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001.
page_number
Reproduced: no. 19, p. 24
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 264-265
citation
Mikolic, Amanda. <em>Worshiping in Place through Art: The Hidden Gems of the Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude. </em>Cleveland Museum of Art The Thinker Blog on Medium. July 16, 2020.
creditline
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:56:48.613000
sourceId
112877
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Romanesque
med
gold, cloisonné enamel, porphyry, gems, pearls, niello, wood core
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
d1d7ac2ac67759e2