English, Canterbury Cathedral, circa 1220

K. Hoffmann (ed.), The Year 1200: A Centennial Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1970, exh. cat. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, pp. 223-224, no. 227;

M. H. Caviness, The Windows of Christ Church Cathedral, Canterbury, CVMA (GB), II, London, 1981, p. 217

Exhibited in the seminal The Year 1200 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in 1970, this exquisite panel with vegetal motifs has long been recognised as a border fragment originating from Canterbury Cathedral. The panel is thought to represent one of the missing original sections of the east window of the crypt, whose glass elements were positioned (with some modern replacements) in their present location in 1945. Surmounted by a depiction of the Virgin and Child enthroned, the border to which the present piece belongs has been dated to about 1220 on account of its stylistic similarity to the borders in the Trinity Chapel, which were hailed by Baker as 'perhaps the finest and most typical examples of the art of stained glass ever to be produced' (op. cit., p. 50). As is noted in the 1970 exhibition catalogue, the present piece is 'remarkably well preserved' (op. cit., p. 224).

RELATED LITERATURE

B. Rackham, The Ancient Glass of Canterbury Cathedral, London, 1949, pp. 65-67; M. H. Caviness, 'A panel of thirteenth century stained glass from Canterbury Cathedral in America', The Antiquaries Journal, XLV, 1965, p 195; J. Baker, English Stained Glass, London, 1960, pp. 50-51