The Corpus: Masham 04

Volume 6: Northern Yorkshire

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Current Display: Masham 04, Yorkshire North Riding

Overview

Object type: Part of cross-arm

Measurements: L. 43.5 cm (17.1 in) W. 27.2 cm (10.7 in) D. 8 cm (3.1 in)

Stone type: Fine-grained feldspathic flaggy sandstone; the rotten feldspar discoloured with limonite. Very pale brown (10YR 7/3). Bedding parallel to the main front face. Certainly Brigantian (Lower Carboniferous) in age, provenance probably fairly local to Masham.

Plate numbers in printed volume: Ills. 632–4

Corpus volume reference: Vol 6 p. 173

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Present Location

At the east end of the nave, north side

Evidence for Discovery

None. But in 1890 it was stated that 'during the recent restoration, many stones and sepulchral slabs of undoubted Saxon workmanship were found built into the walls' (Bulmer 1890, 499). It is not clear whether this refers to the restorations of 1860–7 (see above) or 1882.

Church Dedication

St Mary

Present Condition

Badly damaged and partly dressed

Description

A (broad) : A type D9 cusped cross-arm. The inner curve has a double edge moulding of two narrow modelled strands. Within it is a heart-shaped plant-scroll, with pointed leaf and embracing shootlets. The centre of the head has broken away, and Collingwood's drawing shows more detail than now survives.

B and D (narrow) : Damaged.

C (broad) : Dressed.

E (top) and F (bottom): Damaged, but with the remains of a double edge moulding within the cusp.

Discussion

The knotted plant-scroll on this arm is the same type as in the spandrels of Masham 1, register D (Ill. 602). Probably part of the cross-head of no. 1 (see under no. 5 below).

Date

Late eighth to early ninth century

References

Collingwood 1907, 360, fig. b on 361; McCall 1909, 235; Collingwood 1912, 126; Collingwood 1927a, 110, fig. 133; Cramp 1959–60, 17n; Cramp 1978a, 9, 12; Cramp 1978b, 123; Cramp 1984, 9, 16, 17n, 95, 212, 214; Lang 1990a, 7; Lang 1991, 22; Cramp 1992, 11n, 226, 229, 230

Endnotes

None