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Credenza
1400-149954 1/2 x 59 1/2 x 23 1/2 in. (138.4 x 151.1 x 59.7 cm)
French artist
France
Object Type:
Furniture
Medium and Support:
Walnut, polychromy
Credit Line:
Gift of James Sibley Watson
Accession Number:
1929.2
Location: Currently on view
A credence, or cabinet on legs, was used as a serving board in a castle dining hall or as a cupboard for storing vessels in a church. The usual credence had two doors, a paneled back and a shelf below. Like most medieval furniture, this credence is carved with decoration based on Gothic architecture. A quatrefoil motif, a type of ornament that resembles a four-petaled flower and is frequently seen in medieval stained glass windows, covers the doors. A heraldic shield, carved and with traces of polychromy, or paint, is on each door. The coat of arms on the right is a fleur-de-lis, or stylized lily that was the symbol of the French monarchy, and fish quartered; the one on the left shows three fleur-de-lis mounted by a crown, denoting the royal lineage of the credence’s original owner.
[Gallery label text, June 2013]
[Gallery label text, June 2013]
Additional Images
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Exhibition List
This object was included in the following exhibitions:
- Medieval Faire 3/1/1974 - 3/21/1974
Bibliography
This object has the following bibliographic references:
- Article Author: Herdle, Gertrude R.. Article Title: A French Gothic Credence. Article Scope: Article and reproduction. Memorial Art Gallery. The Bulletin. Rochester, NY: Memorial Art Gallery Volume Number: 2, Issue Number: 2. Issue Date: October-November 1929. Page Number: 3+
- The Memorial Art Gallery Sixteenth Annual Report. Rochester, NY: Memorial Art Gallery, 1929.