Paul's head
The Pauluskopf is a portrait reliquary dated to the 11th century , which is kept in the cathedral chamber of St. Paulus Cathedral in Münster . The bust reliquary, which was further decorated in the 13th century, is one of the oldest surviving portrait reliquaries. It contains relics of the apostle Paul of Tarsus .
description
The reliquary is 22.4 cm high, the base oval and 12.2 cm wide, the depth is 7.2 cm. The core is made of carved oak wood covered with pure gold sheet . Due to the drying-related shrinkage of the wood core, the surface is indented in some places on the head. The breastplate with the 13th century filigree is made of gold-plated silver. The reliquary is set with numerous precious stones and glass rivers . On the lower edge of the back, on the right braid and on the left ear of the head, there are marked repairs from 1981 by the goldsmith and restorer Peter Bolg (who was also involved in the restoration of the Essen Golden Madonna and the Aachen Karlsschreins ). The reliquary grave in the base of the bust is closed with an oval copper plate, it measures 7.5 × 3.0 × 6.5 cm. It contains the loose skull particles of St. Paul wrapped in silk.
The physiognomy of Saint Paul with a high, bald forehead and a pointed, long beard had been iconographically pronounced since the 4th century . The high forehead is framed by straightened hair. At the back of the head, the hair is parted and twisted into two braids, which curl up in a spiral to the sides. The face is broad and softly shaped, the apostle's eyes are formed by two dark blue sapphires .
iconography
The form of the reliquary and the content match, the reliquary is thus a “talking reliquary”, in which the form made the invisible content comprehensible for the medieval believer. The choice of a bust can also allude to the martyrdom of the apostle Paul, who was beheaded in Rome. The execution of the reliquary contained further symbolic references: The gold of the fittings was a symbol of the divine light. Transparent rock crystal symbolized the spiritual purity, a large rock crystal set on round arches on the chest of the bust towers above the other gemstones. It is located between four pearls that represent the gospel . This group is flanked by two grenades , the red of which indicates both the martyrdom of Paul and redemption through the blood of the Savior. Above the central rock crystal there is an opal partially covered by the beard , the opaque nature of which stands as a sign of Paul’s humility as a contrast to the translucent clarity of faith. Below the rock crystal there is a filigree penthouse highlighted blue glass flux that imitates a sapphire. In connection with the theologian Beda Venerabilis, who was highly valued in the early Middle Ages, blue was considered the color of heavenly glory.
Art historical classification
The dating of the portrait reliquary was a matter of dispute for a long time, as it was often dated to the typical filigree of the 13th century. Dating to the 11th century has now established itself. The decisive factor for the early dating was the similarity in style to Ottonian sculpture, which results from the graphic shaping of the beard, scalp hair and eyebrows and the typical “Ottonian flatness” of the face. A particularly similar relationship exists to the representation of two prophets from the Abbey Church of St. Ludgerus in Werden. This stone relief - possibly from the tumba of the founder of the diocese of Münster, Saint Liudger , or a Fenestrella to his grave - is today in the treasury of the Werden abbey church. The prophets have a similar head shape due to their elongated faces and beards. The hair is also tight in carefully worked out strands. The emphasis on the bridge of the nose and the narrow shoulders are similar. In common with the Paul's head are the small upright ears that seem to stick out a bit and are formed from a volume with the hair. The Werden reliefs are dated between 1058 and 1066. The head of Paul could thus belong to the works auro et gemmis preciosissime ornati , which the Münster bishop Siegfried von Walbeck donated to his cathedral between 1022 and 1032.
literature
- Birgitta Falk : Portrait reliquaries. On the origin and development of the metal head, bust and half-figure reliquaries in the Middle Ages. In: Aachener Kunstblätter 59, 1991–93, pp. 162–165.
- Géza Jászai: Works of art from the St. Paulus Cathedral in Münster. Imaginations of the invisible. , Münster Cathedral Administration, Münster 1999.