The Wyvern Collection: Medieval and Renaissance Sculpture and Metalwork

Description

This catalogue of the Wyvern sculpture collection, which is not open to the public, comprises outstanding European sculptures of the medieval period, as well as some Late Antique and Byzantine pieces and related works of the post-medieval era. Objects are made from wood, stone (including alabaster and marble) and terracotta. Also included are medieval works of art in metal, mostly consisting of crucifix figures (corpora), and other functional metalware such as aquamanilia (water vessels for the washing of hands) and candlesticks. This sumptuous publication will interest all those concerned with the material culture of the Middle Ages.

Paul Williamson was until January 2016 Keeper of the Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass department at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where he worked for thirty-seven years. He has written and lectured extensively on medieval sculpture and ivory carvings. His many books include volume 1 of the Wyvern Collection catalogues, Medieval and Renaissance Sculpture and Metalwork; Gothic Sculpture 1140-1300; Netherlandish Sculpture; and Medieval Ivory Carvings 1200-1550.

'There could be few more qualified guides to an important private collection of medieval art than Paul Williamson' - Apollo 'The combination of the unfaltering taste of the collector, who has, as he acknowledges in his foreword, been advised by some of the best medieval curators of our time, and Williamson's erudition and deep understanding of sculpture make this volume a landmark. ... this volume is also a useful primary source in the history of taste. After reading it, one can only impatiently await the publication of the next' - Burlington magazine 'Of the right calibre and breadth to guide us confidently through the salient moments of the history of European medieval sculpting and casting' - The Art Newspaper