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THE CARISBROOKE HAND: ANGLO-SAXON SCULPTURE AND THE HAND OF GOD?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2021

John Margham  and
David Tomalin
John Margham
Affiliation:
24 Woodpark Drive, Knaresborough HG5 9DL, UK. E-mail: johnmargham@yahoo.co.uk
David Tomalin
Affiliation:
4 East Appleford Cottages, Bleakdown, Rookley, Ventnor, Isle of Wight PO38 3LA, UK. E-mail: davidjtomalin@yahoo.co.uk
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Abstract

This paper discusses the significance of a fragment of stone sculpture built into the north wall of the churchyard at Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight. The sculpture depicts an open right hand that is larger than life-sized and is probably of late Anglo-Saxon date. The size and character of the sculpture favours a manus dei (hand of God), forming the upper element of a large rood assemblage. The authors consider allied sculpture in which such a hand appears on Anglo-Saxon grave markers and in similar low relief depictions where Christ is figured on the Cross. At Carisbrooke, this architectural sculpture would have formed a significant feature of an Anglo-Saxon minster church that was rebuilt in the early Norman period. The siting of this building and the extent of its parochia is briefly considered. Supplementary material reviews the probable significance of the sculptural use of Quarr stone at Carisbrooke and elsewhere.

Keywords

stone sculptureroodschurch architecturegrave monumentsChristianity
Type
Research paper
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 102 , September 2022 , pp. 69 - 87
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society of Antiquaries of London

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