Arts and Crafts in the Middle Ages | Page 9

and two golden lions at
the foot. These birds were so arranged by clockwork, that they could be
made to sing, and the lions also joined a roar to the chorus!
A great designer of the Middle Ages was Alcuin, the teacher of
Charlemagne, who lived from 735 to 804; he superintended the
building of many fine specimens of church plate. The school of Alcuin,
however, was more famous for illumination, and we shall speak of his
work at more length when we come to deal with that subject.
Another distinguished patron of art was the Abbot Odo of Cluny, who
had originally been destined for a soldier; but he was visited with what
Maitland describes as "an inveterate headache, which, from his
seventeenth to his nineteenth year, defied all medical skill," so he and
his parents, convinced that this was a manifestation of the disapproval
of Heaven, decided to devote his life to religious pursuits. He became
Abbot of Cluny in the year 927.

[Illustration: CROWN OF CHARLEMAGNE]
Examples of ninth century goldsmithing are rare. Judging from the few
specimens existing, the crown of Charlemagne, and the beautiful
binding of the Hours of Charles the Bold, one would be inclined to
think that an almost barbaric wealth of closely set jewels was the entire
standard of the art of the time, and that grace of form or contour was
quite secondary. The tomb was rifled about the twelfth century, and
many of the valuable things with which he was surrounded were taken
away. The throne was denuded of its gold, and may be seen to-day in
the Cathedral at Aachen, a simple marble chair plain and dignified,
with the copper joints showing its construction. Many of the relics of
Charlemagne are in the treasury at Aachen, among other interesting
items, the bones of the right arm of the Emperor in a golden shrine in
the form of a hand and arm. There is a thrill in contemplating the
remains of the right arm of Charlemagne after all the centuries, when
one remembers the swords and sceptres which have been wielded by
that mighty member. The reliquary containing the right arm of
Charlemagne is German work (of course later than the opening of the
tomb), probably between 1155 and 1190. Frederic Barbarossa and his
ancestors are represented on its ornamentation.
There is little goldsmith's work of the Norman period in Great Britain,
for that was a time of the building of large structures, and probably
minor arts and personal adornment took a secondary place.
[Illustration: BERNWARD'S CROSS AND CANDLESTICKS,
HILDESHEIM]
Perhaps the most satisfactory display of mediæval arts and crafts which
may be seen in one city is at Hildesheim: the special richness of
remains of the tenth century is owing to the life and example of an
early bishop--Bernward--who ruled the See from 993 to 1022. Before
he was made bishop, Bernward was tutor to the young Emperor Otto III.
He was a student of art all his life, and a practical craftsman, working
largely in metals, and training up a Guild of followers in the Cathedral
School. He was extremely versatile: one of the great geniuses of history.
In times of war he was Commander in Chief of Hildesheim; he was a

traveller, having made pilgrimages to Rome and Paris, and the grave of
St. Martin at Tours. This wide culture was unusual in those days; it is
quite evident from his active life of accomplishment in creative art, that
good Bishop Bernward was not to be numbered among those who
expected the end of the world to occur in the year 1000 A. D. Of his
works to be seen in Hildesheim, there are splendid examples. The
Goldsmith's School under his direction was famous.
He was created bishop in 992; Taugmar pays him a tribute, saying: "He
was an excellent penman, a good painter, and as a household manager
was unequalled." Moreover, he "excelled in the mechanical no less than
in the liberal arts." In fact, a visit to Hildesheim to-day proves that to
this man who lived ten centuries ago is due the fact that Hildesheim is
the most artistic city in Germany from the antiquarian's point of view.
This bishop influenced every branch of art, and with so vital an
influence, that his See city is still full of his works and personality. He
was not only a practical worker in the arts and crafts, but he was also a
collector, forming quite a museum for the further instruction of the
students who came in touch with him. He decorated the walls of his
cathedral; the great candelabrum, or corona, which circles above the
central aisle of the cathedral, was his own design, and the work of his
followers; and the paschal column in the cathedral was