Art and Artifice in Ottonian Trier
Thomas Head
During the early 980s Archbishop Egbert of Trier commissioned two shaped reliquaries: an episcopal staff encasing relics allegedly given to Trier's first archbishop by apostle Peter, and a traveling altar containing Andrew's sandal Peter's beard. had particular knack for making use saints, embellishing them with ritual art in order bind his see not only court heaven its authority beyond time, but sacred past apostolic on earth. This article examines how used reliquaries forge this double bond authority. He emerges as master what we might, Claude Lévi-Strauss, call bricolage: able spot utility objects traditions which hitherto been overlooked forgotten, he assembled from old seemingly outmoded something new wholly remarkable. staked out claims through material objects. Only after crafted was more elaborate context provided creation textual instruments hagiography privileges. The celebrated continuity between present that is usually believed have existed texts. argues that--on contrary--the texts
Gesta