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Source Description
This scene illustrates a passage from Genesis in which the blind Jacob deliberately rests his right hand (the hand of honor) on the head of Ephraim, the younger grandson, and his left hand on Manasses, the elder one. In so doing, Jacob, also called Israel, prophesies the greatness of Ephraim's descendants, interpreted by medieval theologians as the Christian faithful. The plaque was probably part of a "typological" cross--a cross that combines Old and New Testament scenes--in which the crossed arms of Jacob symbolically refer to the crucified Christ.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
1927
label
Jacob Blessing Manasses and Ephraim
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
1927
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Jacob Blessing Manasses and Ephraim
description
This scene illustrates a passage from Genesis in which the blind Jacob deliberately rests his right hand (the hand of honor) on the head of Ephraim, the younger grandson, and his left hand on Manasses, the elder one. In so doing, Jacob, also called Israel, prophesies the greatness of Ephraim's descendants, interpreted by medieval theologians as the Christian faithful. The plaque was probably part of a "typological" cross--a cross that combines Old and New Testament scenes--in which the crossed arms of Jacob symbolically refer to the crucified Christ.
provenance
Pierre Leven, Cologne, by purchase; Sale, J. M. Heberle, Cologne, October 4, 1853, no. ???; Henry Walters, Baltimore, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
mid 12th century (Medieval)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Enamels
plaques
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
7.1
height
9.7
depth
0.3
dimensionsRaw
2 3/4 x 3 13/16 x 1/8 in. (7.1 x 9.7 x 0.3 cm)
Source extras
cul
Mosan
style
Romanesque
inscriptions
Upper line of text in enamel on either side of central figure's head: IA/COB;[Transcription] IA/COB; [Translation] Jacob.Lower line of text over the head of the bowing figure at viewer's left: MANASSES [Transcription] MANASSES; [Translation] Manasses.Lower line of text in enamel over the head of the bowing figure at viewer's right: EFRAIM; [Transcription] EFRAIM; [Translation] Ephraim
med
champlevé enamel on gilded copper
creator_ids
6498
15782
collection_ids
MED
exhibition_ids
661
662
170
956
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
5e09abd95e5708ce
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
ec98a014e388550d
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no