PULPITS. 1 Fig. 1. Cathedra in Beverley Church.
THE French word here
translated pulpit,
chaire, from the Latin cathedra, in its primitive application designated the raised seat which the presiding officer of a public assembly occupied. The term is frequently found employed in this acceptation in Greece and Rome, and sculptured monuments exhibit a certain number of cathedrcc in use in pagan ceremonies. It was natural, therefore, that Christianity in its infancy should continue the tradition. The cathedra appears in the catacombs, the meeting-place of the early Christians ; later it figures as the seat stationed at the rear of the basilica, from which the bishop overlooked the assembly of the faithful and from which he also addressed them on occasion. The tradition was perpetuated during a part of the Middle Ages, at least as to the position of the cathedra, though in the abbey-churches the seat was no longer occupied by a bishop, but by an abbot.
A few examples from the Romanesque era occur in the north of Europe. The episcopal or abbatical chair was placed differently in the churches of a later period, — generally on one side of the choir. Tn this case, instead of a single seat, there were several; but the original designation soon gave place here to that of stall.
The cathedra were constructed out of all
sorts of materials, hut more especially of marble or stone. We find a few, at Augsburg and Avignon, for example, dating from the twelfth century and closely resembling the ancient curule chairs, two beautiful specimens of which may be seen in the Louvre.
As an example of an extremely simple type, we call attention to the stone cathedra in Beverley church (Figure 1). In
Saint-Severin, at Bordeaux, there is one in carved stone of great richness. It belongs to the fourteenth century. We can plainly discern in it the efforts, so common at that period, to reproduce in stone ornamental motives borrowed from wood and textures (Figure 2).
The word chaire signifies to-day more generally the small structure in our churches from which the sermon is preached. In early Christian basilicas we find on the sides an ambo, a kind of pulpit from which the epistle and the gospel were read to the congregation, and from which the word of God
1 From the French of E. Rumler, in Planat’s Encyclopedic de rArchitecture et de la Construction.
Fig. 2. Cathedra in Saint-S^verin, Bordeaux.
After Viollet-le-Duc.
Fig. 3. Ambo in San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, Rome.
was also proclaimed; sometimes there ar two of these ambones; they were usually placed in the partition separating the choir from the portion of the nave reserved for the public, and facing each other, as at Santa Maria in Cosmedin and San Clemente.
Sometimes they were set in line, as at Santa Maria in Ara Coeli.
The ambo is a slightly elevated desk reached by steps ; the entire construction is most frequently built against a wall, and in all cases it rests solidly on the ground. We shall see how this primitive form was gradually metamorphosed into that of the pulpit of to-day.
The ambo is made of marble with mosaic incrustations. The decoration is sometimes exceedingly rich, as at San Lorenzo fuori le Mura (Figure 3). On one side there is the twisted column which serves as a support for the Paschal candle. This candelabrum is frequently borne on lions, and we find lions forming the bases of columns in a large number of pulpits of a later period.
When the pulpit is isolated from the wall it is sometimes entirely independent and sometimes it is set against a pillar. This latter disposition allows a place for the stairway which would otherwise be an obstruction to circulation and an accessory
Fig. 4. Exterior Pulpit at Saint-Die.
Fig. 5. Pulpit in Strasburg Cathedral.
difficult to dispose of logically. As a specimen of pulpits of this kind we cite the one in the Duomo of Pisa, which is in many respects remarkable. It dates from 1607, but possesses several earlier fragments brought from other structures, particularly two columns resting on lions. The remaining pillars present curious examples of caryatides. But the especially noteworthy feature is the stairway winding about the marble
THE French word here
translated pulpit,
chaire, from the Latin cathedra, in its primitive application designated the raised seat which the presiding officer of a public assembly occupied. The term is frequently found employed in this acceptation in Greece and Rome, and sculptured monuments exhibit a certain number of cathedrcc in use in pagan ceremonies. It was natural, therefore, that Christianity in its infancy should continue the tradition. The cathedra appears in the catacombs, the meeting-place of the early Christians ; later it figures as the seat stationed at the rear of the basilica, from which the bishop overlooked the assembly of the faithful and from which he also addressed them on occasion. The tradition was perpetuated during a part of the Middle Ages, at least as to the position of the cathedra, though in the abbey-churches the seat was no longer occupied by a bishop, but by an abbot.
A few examples from the Romanesque era occur in the north of Europe. The episcopal or abbatical chair was placed differently in the churches of a later period, — generally on one side of the choir. Tn this case, instead of a single seat, there were several; but the original designation soon gave place here to that of stall.
The cathedra were constructed out of all
sorts of materials, hut more especially of marble or stone. We find a few, at Augsburg and Avignon, for example, dating from the twelfth century and closely resembling the ancient curule chairs, two beautiful specimens of which may be seen in the Louvre.
As an example of an extremely simple type, we call attention to the stone cathedra in Beverley church (Figure 1). In
Saint-Severin, at Bordeaux, there is one in carved stone of great richness. It belongs to the fourteenth century. We can plainly discern in it the efforts, so common at that period, to reproduce in stone ornamental motives borrowed from wood and textures (Figure 2).
The word chaire signifies to-day more generally the small structure in our churches from which the sermon is preached. In early Christian basilicas we find on the sides an ambo, a kind of pulpit from which the epistle and the gospel were read to the congregation, and from which the word of God
1 From the French of E. Rumler, in Planat’s Encyclopedic de rArchitecture et de la Construction.
Fig. 2. Cathedra in Saint-S^verin, Bordeaux.
After Viollet-le-Duc.
Fig. 3. Ambo in San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, Rome.
was also proclaimed; sometimes there ar two of these ambones; they were usually placed in the partition separating the choir from the portion of the nave reserved for the public, and facing each other, as at Santa Maria in Cosmedin and San Clemente.
Sometimes they were set in line, as at Santa Maria in Ara Coeli.
The ambo is a slightly elevated desk reached by steps ; the entire construction is most frequently built against a wall, and in all cases it rests solidly on the ground. We shall see how this primitive form was gradually metamorphosed into that of the pulpit of to-day.
The ambo is made of marble with mosaic incrustations. The decoration is sometimes exceedingly rich, as at San Lorenzo fuori le Mura (Figure 3). On one side there is the twisted column which serves as a support for the Paschal candle. This candelabrum is frequently borne on lions, and we find lions forming the bases of columns in a large number of pulpits of a later period.
When the pulpit is isolated from the wall it is sometimes entirely independent and sometimes it is set against a pillar. This latter disposition allows a place for the stairway which would otherwise be an obstruction to circulation and an accessory
Fig. 4. Exterior Pulpit at Saint-Die.
Fig. 5. Pulpit in Strasburg Cathedral.
difficult to dispose of logically. As a specimen of pulpits of this kind we cite the one in the Duomo of Pisa, which is in many respects remarkable. It dates from 1607, but possesses several earlier fragments brought from other structures, particularly two columns resting on lions. The remaining pillars present curious examples of caryatides. But the especially noteworthy feature is the stairway winding about the marble