Volume 6, Issue 4 (2018)

Welcome to the Autumn 2018/Spring 2019 double issue of Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art & Architecture

This large double issue reflects the rich variety of topics in the field of medieval art history. In the first issue, Elisabeth Cremeens explores how and why textile relics and their visual depictions were used to convey changing attitudes towards the ecclesiastical authorities in Durham. Amy Gillete’s essay also examines changing attitudes, presenting a long-overdue survey of Orthodox scenes of angels’ song, weaving together liturgical ideals and work of great visual impact. Similarly, Kamila Oles & Kaitlyn Kingsland consider multiple visual and historical strands when trying to determine the stylistic origin of the Toledo Gate in Ciudad Real, La Mancha, Spain. They explain how terrestrial laser scanning combined with traditional art history tells an unexpected tale of change and innovation.

In the second issue, Doron Bauer shows how archival documentation as found in the Palma de Mallorca can help us understand not only the context of the creation of long-lost works, but, intriguingly, the changing economic and social status of the painters of these pieces in the tumultuous 14th century. Reclaiming and reconstructing lost artwork is exemplified by the study of a lost choir screen from Santa Chiara in Naples by Lucas Giles. The mixing of traditional art-historical and archival research with the newer technology of ground-penetrating radar produces results that are at once surprising and fitting.

Even when pieces survive, their meanings are hardly static as seen in Andrea M. Ortuño’s investigation of the afterlives of two Nasrid vases whose supposed origin in the Holy Land inspired enthusiastic reception and redefinition. These Islamic objects began as luxurious trade commodities that took on sacred meaning and became powerful relics after entering a Christian context. Such works left an archival paper trail, but there are many objects, such as the 50 carved bench ends from the Church of St John the Baptist, Bressingham, Norfolk, UK that have little archival backing. The difficult work of cataloguing and interpreting these is done by Richard Hayman, who not only presents the corpus, but does so through the constantly shifting historical events over the centuries, attesting to the afterlives of objects in situ.

These two issues also include four incisive and thoughtful reviews of books by Julia Faiers, Kyle Killian, Gili Shalom, and Laura Slater as well as summaries of exciting archival and archaeological findings announced this past year.

Our grateful appreciation and thanks for partial funding provided by Kenyon College. Programming and copy-editing: John Pepple and Artistic Advising: Karen Gerhart.

Sarah Blick, Editor & Brad Hostetler, Associate Editor

The Photobank database continues to serve as a resource for scholars and teachers. Please note that our Photobank has undergone considerable renovation and is now part of Digital Kenyon at Kenyon College. You can search by typing in a key word or name in the search box (e.g. Canterbury). The Photobank continues to grow with copyright¬-free images all downloadable for use in research and teaching.

For future issues we are actively seeking articles on any aspect of medieval art and architecture, including: long and short scholarly articles, scholarly book reviews, review articles on issues facing the field of medieval art history, interesting notes and announcements, useful website recommendations, new archeological discoveries, and recent museum acquisitions. We are interested in publishing articles that will undergo double-¬blind review as well as those which are subject only to regular editing processes, including articles that are the result of preliminary research. We are also looking for images to add to our photobank, to be shared and used by anyone in the classroom and in their research. To round out the scholarly portion of the journal, we are also seeking short, amusing excerpts from medieval sources, comments on the Middle Ages in movies and popular culture, etc.

Again, welcome to Peregrinations. Any suggestions or comments you have concerning the journal would be most welcome. Please feel free to e¬mail us at: