Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

27

Gold and Silver

The Company of Goldsmiths in DuЫin held quite а prominent social position in the community. In 1649, а great festival and pageant took place, in which the goldsmiths and visiting craftsmen from other corpoгa­ tions took рагt. Henry III. set himself to enrich and beautifу the shrine of his patron saint, Edward the Confessoг, and with this end in vie\v he made various extгavagant demands: for instance, at one time he ordered all the gold in London to Ье detailed to this object, and at another, lш haLi gold гings and brooches purchased to thc value of six hundгcd шarks. The shгine ,vas of gold, and, according to Matthe,v Paris, eшicl1ed ,vith jewels. It ,vas commenced in 1241. In 1244 the queen presented an image of the Virgin ,vith а гuЬу and an emerald. Jewels ,ve1·e purchased from time to time, a great сашео in 1251, and iп 1255 many geшs of gгeat value. The son of Odo the Goldsmith, Edward, was the " king's beloved clerk," and ,vas made " keeper of the shrine." Most of the little statuettes were described as having stones set somewheгe аЬонt them: "an image of St. Peter lюlding а chшch in one hand and the keys in the other, trampling on Nero, who Ьаd а Ьig sapphire on his breast;" and " t.he Вlessed Virgin with her S011, set with ruЬies, sapphires, emeralds, and garnets," are among those cited. The whole shrine was described as " а basilica adorned with purest gold and precious stones." Odo the Goldsmith was in charge of the ,vorks for а