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DOI Artikel:Timmermann, Achim: A promise of paradise: microarchitecture, baptism and the font ciborium of St. Severus in Erfurt =
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.35031#0185
177
ACHIM TIMMERMANN
UniimrATy of 44icEigon, Ann ArEor
,7 Rrow/yc o/ Du/Y/A.sc.'
/Wić/YE/rcf i AxEr/rc, Dr//7/i.S'E? r//rr/ i/?c
Ao/t/ C/Eormw q6 A. 6A-Ć71ŁS' A E/fioE
W ^ ising like a fantastic plant to a height of 15 metres, and sprouting intricate vegetal
and microarchitectural forms, the font ciborium of the St. Severus at Erfurt in
JL ^^Thuringia represents one of the high points of German late mediaeval art (ill. 1).
Yet this exquisite structure has so far attracted relatively little scholarly attention.* This
essay considers the ciborium in its broader artistic, liturgicah and symbolic contexts, and
is meant to stimulate further discussion about this and similar such works. It is the second
in a three-part study which explores the architectural stage management of the sacrament
of baptism during the closing centuries of the Middle Agesr
Completed in 1467, the ciborium and its font are housed by the Collegiate Church of St.
Severus, a vast five-aisled hall church situated slightly north of the Cathedral on a plateau
above Erfurt T main market square.^ The ciborium is located between the outer and inner
' The only extended discussion of the structure can be found in two publications, by Alfred Overmann, which appeared
nearly a century ago; cf. Alfred OVERMANN, D^ r TbnfAin i" Ar An^riCroAo zn Er/rmt. 'Jahrbuch der Denkmalpfle-
ge in der Provinz Sachsen' 1906-1907, pp. 77-9; Alfred OVERMANN, Dm o/iorgn Enn^AonkrnY/ior Ar EAiik, Ar
Mo/oroi nnE <7^ EnnxfgoworE^ in Ar Armii Erfurt, Erfurt 1912, pp. xxviii-xix, nos. 105-109, 120. Diverse aspects of
the font, its ciborium and scuiptural program are briefiy considered in: Paut GREINERT, Erfbrior Aoinp/o^iik 74.
unE 75. AEr/mnArA. Leipzig 1905, p. 59; Kart BECKER, et at. [eds], Dm AoEi Erfuri; Dom, Anorikirc/m, EgiorA/o-
ZiioEo/io ('Dio /GuMtAnknMA &r Eroninz Am/r^on' t), Burg 1929, pp. 444-6; Magdalenę RUDOLPH, Dio Erfrr-
Ar SAinp/o^Ek XU AErr/zunEorA ('AnEmn zrzr EenAc/mn Eun^igoyc/zic/zA' 276), Strassburg 1930, pp. 97-100;
Margot BRAUN-REICHENBACHER. Do^ A^i- nnE Eonkwork.' Eniwick/ung, Morkrno/r unE EgEoniung oingr ^zEigo-
EA/mn Ornomoniform ('Er/ongrr EoiirEgg Serock- unE Eun^iwA^gn^cko/E 24), Nurnberg 1966, pp. 42-3; Anne-
tiese SEEL1GER-ZEISS, Eorgnz Egck/gr non EgiEg/kgrg nnE ^gin Dmkrgzb.* SinEign znr Gg-mkiokA Ar ^Eigoizbckgn
ZigrrzrckiAkiur unEEku/pinr in Ar Eur^fE/z nnE in Sokwokgn ('EoiA/borgur EMuyigg^ckigki/ickg AkkonE/Mnggn' 10).
Heidelberg 1967, p. 40. Jurgen JULIER, SiuEAn znr ^pEigoizkckgn Eouknn^i om Okgrrkgin ('EoiAi^orgor Ezz/Migg-
yc/AAAA AAunAmgon' n. s. 13), Heidelberg 1978, pp. 229-30, 301 n. 582; Edgar LEHMANN and Ernst SCHU-
BERT, Dom unE AneriłircA Erfbri. Stuttgart 1988, p. 259; Paul FRANKL, Coikic Arc/rAcinrg (Tg/mon 77Atory of
Arf), rev. by Paul CROSSLEY, New Haven and London 2000, pp. 243-4.
- The two other studies focus on the font ciboria of Ulm Minster and St. Mary's in Luton, Bedfordshire, respectively;
see: Achim TIMMERMANN, Drm 7oMfzikorium im G/mgr Miinyigr.' Siur/ign znr Eioinorc/?iiokinr Ar Go A, 'Ulm und
Oberschwaben' LII: 2001, 9-18; Achim TIMMERMANN, AEcroorcbAcmro onE My^iicoi Dgoik/ Ekg Eoni Cikorium
of A. Moryly in Euion fcirco 7330-40) [in:] Zoe OPAĆ1Ć [ed.], E/m Aor 7300 onE Em Crgoiion of<^ Egw ArckiAcinrg,
Turnhout 2007, pp. 137-47.
^ For both buildings, see LEHMANN and SCHUBERT, Dom nnE AnonEirc/m..., op. cit. - notę 1, with further bibliography.
ACHIM TIMMERMANN
UniimrATy of 44icEigon, Ann ArEor
,7 Rrow/yc o/ Du/Y/A.sc.'
/Wić/YE/rcf i AxEr/rc, Dr//7/i.S'E? r//rr/ i/?c
Ao/t/ C/Eormw q6 A. 6A-Ć71ŁS' A E/fioE
W ^ ising like a fantastic plant to a height of 15 metres, and sprouting intricate vegetal
and microarchitectural forms, the font ciborium of the St. Severus at Erfurt in
JL ^^Thuringia represents one of the high points of German late mediaeval art (ill. 1).
Yet this exquisite structure has so far attracted relatively little scholarly attention.* This
essay considers the ciborium in its broader artistic, liturgicah and symbolic contexts, and
is meant to stimulate further discussion about this and similar such works. It is the second
in a three-part study which explores the architectural stage management of the sacrament
of baptism during the closing centuries of the Middle Agesr
Completed in 1467, the ciborium and its font are housed by the Collegiate Church of St.
Severus, a vast five-aisled hall church situated slightly north of the Cathedral on a plateau
above Erfurt T main market square.^ The ciborium is located between the outer and inner
' The only extended discussion of the structure can be found in two publications, by Alfred Overmann, which appeared
nearly a century ago; cf. Alfred OVERMANN, D^ r TbnfAin i" Ar An^riCroAo zn Er/rmt. 'Jahrbuch der Denkmalpfle-
ge in der Provinz Sachsen' 1906-1907, pp. 77-9; Alfred OVERMANN, Dm o/iorgn Enn^AonkrnY/ior Ar EAiik, Ar
Mo/oroi nnE <7^ EnnxfgoworE^ in Ar Armii Erfurt, Erfurt 1912, pp. xxviii-xix, nos. 105-109, 120. Diverse aspects of
the font, its ciborium and scuiptural program are briefiy considered in: Paut GREINERT, Erfbrior Aoinp/o^iik 74.
unE 75. AEr/mnArA. Leipzig 1905, p. 59; Kart BECKER, et at. [eds], Dm AoEi Erfuri; Dom, Anorikirc/m, EgiorA/o-
ZiioEo/io ('Dio /GuMtAnknMA &r Eroninz Am/r^on' t), Burg 1929, pp. 444-6; Magdalenę RUDOLPH, Dio Erfrr-
Ar SAinp/o^Ek XU AErr/zunEorA ('AnEmn zrzr EenAc/mn Eun^igoyc/zic/zA' 276), Strassburg 1930, pp. 97-100;
Margot BRAUN-REICHENBACHER. Do^ A^i- nnE Eonkwork.' Eniwick/ung, Morkrno/r unE EgEoniung oingr ^zEigo-
EA/mn Ornomoniform ('Er/ongrr EoiirEgg Serock- unE Eun^iwA^gn^cko/E 24), Nurnberg 1966, pp. 42-3; Anne-
tiese SEEL1GER-ZEISS, Eorgnz Egck/gr non EgiEg/kgrg nnE ^gin Dmkrgzb.* SinEign znr Gg-mkiokA Ar ^Eigoizbckgn
ZigrrzrckiAkiur unEEku/pinr in Ar Eur^fE/z nnE in Sokwokgn ('EoiA/borgur EMuyigg^ckigki/ickg AkkonE/Mnggn' 10).
Heidelberg 1967, p. 40. Jurgen JULIER, SiuEAn znr ^pEigoizkckgn Eouknn^i om Okgrrkgin ('EoiAi^orgor Ezz/Migg-
yc/AAAA AAunAmgon' n. s. 13), Heidelberg 1978, pp. 229-30, 301 n. 582; Edgar LEHMANN and Ernst SCHU-
BERT, Dom unE AneriłircA Erfbri. Stuttgart 1988, p. 259; Paul FRANKL, Coikic Arc/rAcinrg (Tg/mon 77Atory of
Arf), rev. by Paul CROSSLEY, New Haven and London 2000, pp. 243-4.
- The two other studies focus on the font ciboria of Ulm Minster and St. Mary's in Luton, Bedfordshire, respectively;
see: Achim TIMMERMANN, Drm 7oMfzikorium im G/mgr Miinyigr.' Siur/ign znr Eioinorc/?iiokinr Ar Go A, 'Ulm und
Oberschwaben' LII: 2001, 9-18; Achim TIMMERMANN, AEcroorcbAcmro onE My^iicoi Dgoik/ Ekg Eoni Cikorium
of A. Moryly in Euion fcirco 7330-40) [in:] Zoe OPAĆ1Ć [ed.], E/m Aor 7300 onE Em Crgoiion of<^ Egw ArckiAcinrg,
Turnhout 2007, pp. 137-47.
^ For both buildings, see LEHMANN and SCHUBERT, Dom nnE AnonEirc/m..., op. cit. - notę 1, with further bibliography.