The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 15, 2025

The "Spitzer Cross"

c. 1190

Master of the Royal Plantagenet Workshop

(French)
France, Limoges
copper: gilded, engraved, stippled; champlevé enamel; wood backing (modern)
Overall: 67.4 x 41.9 x 0.2 cm (26 9/16 x 16 1/2 x 1/16 in.)
Gift of J. H. Wade 1923.1051
Location: 106C Medieval Treasury

Description

This fine enameled cross is named the "Spitzer Cross" after the Viennese art dealer and collector Baron Frédéric Spitzer, who owned it in the 19th century. It has justly been hailed as the finest Limoges enameled cross to survive. The work’s coloration exemplifies its refined craftsmanship. Rendered in white enamel, with fine lines defining the rib cage, abdomen, and muscles, Christ’s body contrasts strikingly with the vibrant green, blue, and yellow of his halo, loincloth, and the cross.
  • B. Meyers; Frederic Spitzer, Paris (his sale, Paul Chevalier, Paris, 17 April - 16 June 1893, lot 228); (Arnold Seligmann, Rey & Co., New York).
  • W. M. M. “The Limoges Enamel Cross from the Spitzer Collection.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 11, no. 2 (February 1924): 30–33, 36-37. Mentioned: p. 30-33; Reproduced: p. 36-37 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1925. Reproduced: p. 14 archive.org
    W. M. M., T. S., R. H., and F. A. W. “In Memoriam: Jeptha Homer Wade.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 13, no. 4 (April 1926): 63–91. Reproduced: p. 74 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1928. Reproduced: p. 16 archive.org
    Milliken. William. "Objects from the Samuel Mather Collection." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 28, no. 3 (March 1941): 36-40. Mentioned: p. 36 www.jstor.org
    Milliken, William. "Silver Jubilee Exhibition." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 28, no.6 (June 1941): 88-108 Mentioned: p. 90 www.jstor.org
    Milliken, William. "Four Champlevé Enamel Panels." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 38, no. 4 (April 1951): 72-74. Mentioned: p. 72 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 113 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 47 archive.org
    Wixom, William D. Treasures from Medieval France. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1967. Reproduced: p.108; mentioned: p.107 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 47 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 51 archive.org
    Cleveland Museum of Art, and Holger A. Klein. Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 156-157, no. 53
    Cleveland Museum of Art. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 263
    Phillips, Glenn, and J. Paul Getty Museum. Lumen : The Art and Science of Light, 800-1600. Edited by Kristen M. Collins and Nancy Turner. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2024. Reproduced: p. 147, no. 92
  • Lumen: The Art and Science of Light. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA (organizer) (September 10-December 8, 2024).
    Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. National Museum of Bavaria, Munich, Germany (May 10-September 16, 2007); J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 2007-January 20, 2008); Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN (February 13-June 7, 2009).
    Bavarian Nationalmuseum, Munich (5/10/2007 - 9/16/2007), the J. Paul Getty Musuem, Los Angeles (10/30/2007 - 1/20/2008) and Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN (2/13/2009 - 6/7/2009): "Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art"
    Cleveland, The Cleveland Musuem of Art, "Object Lessons: Cleveland Creates an Art Museum," 1991, p. 104.
    New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Year 1200," February 14-May 10, 1970; no. 144, p. 139-140.
    Treasures of Medieval France. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 16, 1966-January 29, 1967).
    Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art, "Treasures from Medieval France," 1966; no. III-31, p. 105, 357-358.
    Seattle, Worlds Fair, "Masterpieces of Art," April 21-September 4, 1962, no. 8, 1962; cat. no. 8, p. 30, repr. p. 31.
    New York, Museum of Contemporary Crafts, "Enamels" Septembern 18-November 29, 1959; cat. no. 8.
    The Silver Jubilee Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-September 28, 1941).
    The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition: The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 26-October 4, 1936).
    Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art, "The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition" no. 13, 1936; p. 19, cat. no. 13.
  • {{cite web|title=The "Spitzer Cross"|url=false|author=Master of the Royal Plantagenet Workshop|year=c. 1190|access-date=15 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1923.1051