Paul Williamson – författare

This catalogue of the Wyvern sculpture collection, which is not open to the public, comprises outstanding European sculptures of the medieval period, as well as some Late Antique and Byzantine pieces and related works of the post-medieval era. Objects are made from wood, stone (including alabaster and marble) and terracotta. Also included are medieval works of art in metal, mostly consisting of crucifix figures (corpora), and other functional metalware such as aquamanilia (water vessels for the washing of hands) and candlesticks. This sumptuous publication will interest all those concerned with the material culture of the Middle Ages.

This volume, the second catalogue of the Wyvern Collection, celebrates an outstanding group of medieval ivory carvings and small sculpture, the finest assemblage of its kind in private hands. The book has pieces from every period of the Middle Ages, including rare examples from the Early Christian era; spectacular panels from the workshops of tenth-century Constantinople; objects produced by the celebrated carvers active in south Italy in the eleventh and twelfth centuries; and several important pieces from the Romanesque period. At the heart of the collection is an outstanding group of Gothic ivories whose highlights include one of the most important secular medieval ivories discovered in recent years. The collection also features a number of small amber, hardstone, jet, wood and mother-of-pearl carvings. In addition to their virtuoso craftsmanship, many of these objects have illustrious histories as part of famous aristocratic or ecclesiastical collections. This is a precious opportunity to study these miniature masterpieces.

Works of art in enamel are among the most attractive, colourful and revealing objects of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Enamel was employed to embellish a broad array of objects, including reliquary caskets, crosses, book-covers, croziers, censers and pyxes for the church and a wide range of tableware for the secular market. The Wyvern Collection comprises many pieces of prime importance from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. Among the highlights in this volume are two extremely rare Romanesque enamels of c. 1160-70 from the Meuse Valley: the celebrated reliquary triptych probably originally belonging to the Bishop of Liège, and a beautiful phylactery (a reliquary designed to be suspended) with scenes from the story of the True Cross, said to have come from the famous abbey of Lobbes. Limoges enamels of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries are particularly well represented, the 65 pieces making up what is undoubtedly now the finest and most comprehensive collection in private hands. The later painted enamels of Limoges, from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, include remarkable examples of the work of the principal enamellers, most notably Pierre Reymond, and the spectacular horn of St Hubert, dated 1538 and signed by Léonard Limosin, which once belonged to Horace Walpole at Strawberry Hill. The catalogue additionally includes other outstanding works of art such as an important Anglo-Carolingian chrismatory of the ninth century, a small group of enigmatic twelfth-century drinking-cups and sumptuous examples of German late medieval goldsmiths' work. Stained and painted glass roundels, Italian Renaissance ceramics, luxurious textiles and tapestries, and German and Italian armour are also catalogued. An appendix presents several important pieces, recently acquired, which supplement those published in the first two volumes. With more than 250 objects, all specially photographed, this is more than a handbook to an especially rich part of one of the greatest private collections. It is a detailed and authoritative guide to medieval and Renaissance enamels and other works of art, a stimulus to further research and a feast for the eyes.With 400 illustrations in colour

-What is it that lies in the depths of our consciousness? -Is it safe to go there? -Will I find memories from far distant times in history? -Are past lives real? -What will these 'memories' tell me about my soul? -Do I have the courage to explore and delve into these hidden unknown experiences that lure me? -If I go there, I may discover things that change me, that give me a different, deeper outlook about my life. Am I prepared to do that? -What about my fears? I do not want to find out something that I would not like. Should I listen to my fears? -What if it is all stuff that I make up? -To learn about our past lives is a spiritual journey of self-discovery. Do we step forward or go another way? It is up to us. The path we tread is our choice.

New acquisitions of medieval and Renaissance art in the Wyvern CollectionThis striking catalogue explores a remarkable collection of medieval and Renaissance art in various media. It includes stunning photography and original research, significantly broadening the scope of the existing scholarship on the subject. The Wyvern Collection stands out as one of the world's pre-eminent collections in private hands. Scholarly catalogues of its rich array of holdings have been published in recent years, but new, important pieces continue to be added. The Wyvern Collection includes all the medieval and Renaissance works of art acquired since 2020. Among the highlights in this volume are a striking German twelfth-century aquamanile in the form of a stag, a rare fourteenth-century cameo of the Virgin and Child, and a previously unknown enameled knop from a processional cross made by the esteemed Italian goldsmith and painter Nicola da Guardiagrele around 1410. Italian Renaissance ceramics are also well represented, with outstanding examples by sixteenth-century masters such as Giorgio Andreoli da Gubbio, the so-called Milan Marsyas Painter, Francesco Xanto Avelli, and Orazio Fontana da Urbino. Three painted enamels of Renaissance Limoges have also been added to the collection, including a magnificent ewer by Pierre Reymond. There are also sculptures in stone, wood, and bronze, and a sixteenth-century stained and painted glass roundel from the northern Netherlands perfectly complements the collection.Beautiful photographs bring to light every detail of these pieces. The new additions are important documents for the history of collecting, as attested by the prestigious provenance of several of them—formerly in the Adda, Cottreau, Harris, Hunt, and Rothschild collections, among others.

This book presents an in-depth examination of a singular medieval ivory casket known as the ‘Baird Casket’.It is the first in a series of scholarly books to be produced by the Wyvern Research Institute. Each volume will be devoted to an individual object in the Wyvern Collection, one of the world’s pre-eminent private collections.Combining art historical research with technical analysis, this new series captures the Wyvern Institute’s mission to stimulate new lines of investigation an disseminate fresh critical insights for a broad audience. Each monograph will highlight an intriguing or previously unpublished object in the Collection, opening a private collection up not only to researchers but also to the public. The Baird Casket is an extraordinary survival which was completely unknown to the public until shortly before its emergence on the art market in Edinburgh in 2021. Showing scenes of combat with wild men and their capture alongside carvings celebrating the power of the sword, it combines imagery that is unique amongst the corpus of surviving ivories with a remarkable provenance, which dates to the late 17th century. Williamson draws on his extensive expertise to present a complete examination of the casket, ranging from its history in the possession of the Baird family to its facture and interpretation. In doing so he presents a new reading of the scenes depicted and uncovers a possible identity of the original intended owner. The casket has only been published once previously in a 2022 journal article, making this more detailed discussion an exciting and valuable new contribution to the field of medieval studies. Furthermore, the analysis will be accompanied by full-page plates of the Baird Casket and numerous images of comparable objects, including a group of seven similar composite caskets, also making this the first time that all eight caskets will have been showcased together in a single publication.Published by Paul Holberton Publishing

The first monograph dedicated to the Judgement Porch of Lincoln Cathedral, one of the greatest buildings of medieval EuropeLincoln Cathedral is one of the greatest buildings of medieval Europe, remarkable both for its architectural form and its sculptural treasures.  Unlike the celebrated Angel Choir, the great portal on its south side has until now not been the subject of a dedicated monograph. The Judgement Porch, so-called because of the subject matter of the tympanum, showing Christ present at the Last Judgement, with angels, devils, the blessed and the damned, is one of the key monuments of English Gothic sculpture, and the present publication demonstrates its importance with a detailed investigation of the doorway's history, iconography, facture and style.The text is accompanied by a comprehensive series of photographs, many taken especially for this book, with details illustrating the less well-known sculptures, including the voussoir figures of the arch.  Every one of the individual sculptures of the voussoirs, showing queens, kings, the wise and foolish virgins, and the apostles, have been photographed; together with the relief sculptures of the tympanum and the flanking life-size statues connected with the sculptural programme, they collectively demonstrate the extremely high quality of the work at Lincoln.

This definitive handbook uniquely documents the 2001 UK Census from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Collating a wide range of indicators, classification and analysis methods based on the Census, it includes an accompanying CD-ROM and refers throughout to an associated website providing the latest information. * Provides comprehensive coverage of value-added products for 1991 Census and preview of improved products for 2001 Census * Supported by a CD-ROM containing a full set of 1971-81-91 reaggreated Census data and a chapter-by-chapter guide to official and academic web resources * Brings together the latest information from some of the leading researchers who have used Census data in their work * Dedicated website will be regularly updated to provide the latest information