LOT 0341

Medieval Alabaster Panel with The Betrayal and Arrest of Christ

ENGLAND, NOTTINGHAM ALABASTER, MIDLANDS, CIRCA 1420 A.D.

14 3/4 in. (10.4 kg total, 37.5 cm high including stand).

Rectangular panel with figural scene in high relief; above, two figures left in bassinets and plate armour arrest two standing figures in loose robes; behind them, a tall figure stretching his hand across the chest of another robed figure drawing a sword; below, beneath a ledge, a supine figure extending his left hand towards the central figure above, his right hand holding a walking staff; mounted on a custom-made stand. [No Reserve]

Collection of Aäron Vecht (1886-1965), Rokin 30, Amsterdam (his paper collection label adhered to the reverse).
with Joanna Booth, London, UK.
Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above 11th June 2011.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13527-262845.

Cf. similar alabaster panel from the Nottingham Workshops (England) dated to the 15th century, on display in the Carmo Archaeological Museum (Museu Arqueológico do Carmo MAC/Esc.30, MAC/Esc.31, MAC/Esc.21 and MAC/Esc.33) in the former Carmo Convent (Convento do Carmo) in Lisbon, Portugal.

The iconography of the betrayal of Christ is ancient, with its earliest roots tracing back to early Christian art. From its inception, the soldiers arresting Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane were depicted as Roman warriors. It is important to note that artists typically rendered their weapons and armour in the contemporary style of their own eras, rather than using historically accurate Roman attire.
This artistic convention persisted until the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire. As a result, Byzantine depictions of the arrest offer a dynamic chronicle of military evolution, showcasing the changing equipment of the Roman army and local militias throughout the Middle Ages.
Similarly, when this iconography was adopted by other Western and Eastern medieval states, it mirrored the military advancements of nations outside the Byzantine sphere. Consequently, the representation of the arrest at Gethsemane serves as one of the richest visual sources available for studying medieval military equipment.