Crozier

Crozier
England, ca. 1120-1130
Morse ivory 
H. 0.15 m
Acq., 1893 
Cl. 13066

Morse ivory was commonly used in northern European countries. Used to make chess or other game pieces, morse ivory was also chosen to create more prestigious religious objects. On each side of the scroll, an eagle and a lion - perhaps evangelical symbols - crush the head of a dragon, a figure often seen on the power insignia of bishops and clergy. The shape of the crozier and the open scrollwork decoration are technically similar to those of St. John Beverley's crozier housed at the British Museum in London. This decoration is characteristic of the type used in the Canterbury manuscripts circa 1120-1130.