Image: Deutsche Inschriften Online
Clavis number: ECMA 167
Inventory number: Inv. WIEN Ha 5
Other descriptors: none
Location: Lüneburg Monasteries Textil Museum
Category: hanging
Related literature: Acts of Thomas, Miracles of Thomas, Passion of Thomas
Featured characters and locations: Abban, Andrapolis (Sandaruk), Gad (brother of king Gundaphorus), Gundaphorus, Misdaeus, Thomas (apostle).
1. DESCRIPTION
Material: wool embroidery on linen
Size: h. 205 cm, w. 445 cm
Date and Provenance: 14th cent.; Wienhausen Monastery, Lüneburg
2. IMAGES AND RELATIONSHIP TO APOCRYPHAL LITERATURE
Images and descriptions from Deutsche Inschriften Online (entry compiled by Sabine Wehking).
1) Thomas puts his finger in the side would of Christ; 2) Christ hands Thomas over to Abban (holding staff) (cf. Pass. Thom. 1–5). Inscription: ga int lant ivdia (Go to the country of India).
3) the wedding at Andrapolis; Thomas is struck by the cupbearer; 4) the cupbearer is attacked by a lion. (cf. Pass. Thom. 6–9). Inscription: Jk wil did not eten / de hant kome vp de (I do not want to eat. The hand comes to you).
5) King Gundaphorus, crowned and sitting on a bench, gives Thomas funds to construct a palace; two attendants look on; 6) Gundaphorus departs on horse with several attendants (cf. Pass. Thom. 16).
7) Thomas gives the money to the poor; 8) Thomas in prison (cf. Pass. Thom. 17). Inscription above row: hir gift em de koni(n)g den scat dat he em late buwen en pallas koni(n)g de ryt hir vt hir esschet s(anct) thomas vp de borch hir sleyt de schencke de hir dehir dehir dat gd the armen lud lud hir (Here the king gives him the treasure, that he may build him a palace. The king rides out here. Here Thomas is imprisoned in the castle).
9) Gad, the king’s brother, dies; 10) Thomas revives Gad; 11) Gad shows his brother the heavenly palace (cf. Pass. Thom. 18–20).
12) King Misdaeus with an executioner armed with sword; Thomas kneels; an idol falls from a platform while several people pray, kneeling (cf. Pass. Thom. 51–60); 13) burial of Thomas by two disciples cf. Pass. Thom. 61); 14) Thomas administers Eucharist to Misdaeus and three other figures (parallel uncertain). Inscription above row: hir gift em de koni(n)g den scat dat he em late buwen en pallas koni(n)g de ryt hir vt hir esschet s(anct) thomas vp de borch hir sleyt de schencke de hir dehir dehir dat gd the armen lud lud hir (Here the king’s brother dies. Here he comes up from death again. Here is the Palace that St. Thomas built. Here they kill the apostle and overthrow the idols. Here they bury him. Here they take him out of the tomb, and (here) gives them the holy (host).
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bühring, Joachim, and Konrad Maier. Die Kunstdenkmale des Landkreises Celle, Text- und Bildband. Teil 2: Wienhausen, Kloster und Gemeinde. Die Kunstdenkmale des Landes Niedersachsen 34. Hannover: Niedersächsisches Landesverwaltungsamt, 1970 (p. 156 and Abb. 203).
Kohwagner-Nikolai, Tanja. “Per manus sororum . . . ‚” Niedersächsische Bildstickereien im Klosterstich (1300–1583). Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 2006 (no. 5, p. 218).
Mithoff, Hector Wilhelm Heinrich. Kunstdenkmale und Alterthümer im Hannoverschen. Bd. 4: Fürstenthum Lüneburg. Hannover: Helwing’sche, 1877 (p. 282).
Schütte, Marie. Gestickte Bildteppiche und Decken des Mittelalters. Bd. 1: Die Klöster Wienhausen und Lüne, das Lüneburgische Museum. Leipzig: K. W. Hiersemann, 1927 (p. 23 and plates 21–24).
Wilhelm, Pia. Die Bildteppiche. Kloster Wienhausen III. Wienhausen: Kloster Winehausen, 1972 (p. 38 and Abb. p. 37 and 40f.).
3. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
“Wienhausen Abbey.” Wikipedia.
Index of Medieval Art
Entry created by Tony Burke, York University, 27 May 2024.