Jackie Mann | Loyola University Chicago (original) (raw)

Papers by Jackie Mann

The Goldene Kammer (Golden Chamber) of St. Ursula’s Basilica in Cologne, Germany is both a storag... more The Goldene Kammer (Golden Chamber) of St. Ursula’s Basilica in Cologne, Germany is both a storage room and an artistic display of human remains. These remains are the physical proof of the myth of St. Ursula and her Eleven Thousand Virgins, who are said to have defended Cologne from invaders and become martyrs in the process. While much has been said about the Goldene Kammer and its vigorous medieval cult, I intend to consider this space in the larger context of charnel houses and ossuaries. I will begin by examining the development of charnel houses and ossuaries, first generally, and then within Western Europe and Germany. The remainder of this paper will endeavor to fill two major gaps in the scholarship on the Goldene Kammer, and will be divided into two sections. The first concerns the Goldene Kammer’s initial development. While the presence of a Goldene Kammer resembling that which remains to us today can only be dated with certainty to 1525, I propose that the presence of an ossuary may have existed on the site of St. Ursula’s as early as 1300. The second point in the Goldene Kammer’s biography that I intend to expand upon is the 1643 renovation that resulted in the Goldene Kammer’s current design. I agree that, as has been suggested, the patrons of this 1643 renovation intended to insert themselves into the narrative of St. Ursula via their patronage. I will also propose that, in addition to placing themselves into proximity with the Virgins, their choice to direct their patronage at an ossuary resulted from a contemporary interest in defining the distinctly-Catholic identity of Cologne following the 30 Years’ War. I hope to demonstrate that at both moments, the Goldene Kammer’s role as an ossuary was pivotal to its development.

The Arian Baptistry of Ravenna is an unusual building. It is one of the oldest surviving structur... more The Arian Baptistry of Ravenna is an unusual building. It is one of the oldest surviving structures in Ravenna, dating to the reign of Theodoric the Great (493-526 CE). Its dome mosaic, the only significant portion of the decorative program that still survives, deviates in unexpected ways from standard baptistries of the same period, including its local Orthodox counterpart. The dome’s mosaics have been the subject of lively scholarly debate for the last several decades. Most of this discussion, however, only considers the mosaic in comparison to the nearby Orthodox Baptistry, and claims that the Arian version is either a poorly-planned “copy” of the earlier program, or that the liturgical practices of Arianism encouraged the distinction of their ritual from that of the Orthodox (via the distinction of the visual program experienced in the process). While the Arian Baptistry is too fragmentary and the Arian faith too poorly documented to examine it independently of any other structure, I intend to apply some of the work that has been done on Ravenna’s Orthodox Baptistry of Neon to the Arian structure. I will propose that it was Theodoric’s intentions for Ravenna, and his desire to seize the power of the local bishop, that motivated the program of the Arian Baptistry.

The Arsenal Old Testament Bible (Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, MS 5211) was created in Acre i... more The Arsenal Old Testament Bible (Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, MS 5211) was created in Acre in the early 1250s, contemporary to the period in which Louis IX of France held his crusading headquarters in or at least near that city. This presence of the king during the production of the Arsenal Bible has led to much discussion about Louis’s intentions and beliefs in regards to the qualities and contents of this manuscript. The relationship between Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean had become increasingly complex during the 13th century, and Eastern-made objects and ideas were being brought west with increasing frequency. Their intensified presence was changing the opinion and role of Eastern culture and history in the West. In fact, Byzantine objects brought to Europe were in some cases seen as relics of another great Christian empire, of the past, and of Christianity in general, all simultaneously. By analyzing contemporary relics and reliquaries that intentionally incorporate aspects of the Eastern Mediterranean and Byzantium, and by analyzing depictions of the “other” in the images of the Arsenal Bible, I propose that the Arsenal Bible was an “intentionally authentic” relic of the Holy Land, of the crusading efforts of Europe, and as a relic of Louis IX who had begun to frame France as the “new Jerusalem” of the West and himself as a martyred Christian hero who was firmly entrenched in a biblical past.

Considering the incredible detail put into the Parthenon frieze, one would expect its imagery to ... more Considering the incredible detail put into the Parthenon frieze, one would expect its imagery to be far more visible to its visitors. Instead, as brought up by countless researchers in the past, these marbles are not only at a height and furthermore a sharp angle which would restrict their visibility, but they are also in a position which leaves them obstructed and in shadow. However, perhaps these details were never meant to be seen by mortal viewers, but were really meant as a gift to the gods. In this case, one may expect that the figures would be completely invisible to the human eye, but I propose that they are meant to be just visible enough so that a mortal viewer is not only aware of their presence but is also aware of the limits which restrict them as mortals. While mortals would face many limitations in the viewing of the Parthenon frieze, the gods would have none of these, and the position of the frieze as well as its great detail at the same time makes this relationship possible.

MA Thesis by Jackie Mann

This thesis attempts a complete object biography of a fifth-century sarcophagus reliquary current... more This thesis attempts a complete object biography of a fifth-century sarcophagus reliquary currently held by the Menil Collection in Houston. This thesis proposes that the Menil reliquary is a container with acute agency in its original context that continues into its modern museum context. This stone container has openings on its lid and front face, a pattern of carved birds and crosses, and is shaped like a Roman sarcophagus. The relics contained by this reliquary are completely concealed. This makes an analysis of their container even more vital, as the Menil reliquary carries the signifiers for the material inside. Without reliquaries surrounding them, relics would be unrecognizable fragments. Reliquaries define relics. Due to its iconographic program and complete circulation system for liquids, the Menil sarcophagus reliquary was displayed visibly in a late-antique pilgrimage church. A common belief in Late Antiquity was that sacred power could be transferred via touch. Liquids poured into the tops of sarcophagus reliquaries touched the relics, sources of sacred power, inside. When they exited the second opening in the reliquary, these substances had also become sacred material. Audiences of these reliquaries could then interact directly with the sacred power they desired by touching, tasting, and otherwise experiencing these sanctified fluids. Reliquaries with this ability, including the Menil reliquary, transformed and provided a means of contacting otherwise-inaccessible sacred presences. The Menil sarcophagus reliquary was a visible object that communicated the above abilities to its late-antique audience through its various physical features. The Menil reliquary continues to be a tangible point of recognition of and access to invisible, distant worlds in its modern location. As a museum object, the Menil sarcophagus reliquary has become a relic like those it once contained, while the institution of the Menil Collection acts a reliquary. This object has an ongoing vitality and, in both its late-antique and modern contexts, makes tangible the otherwise unattainable.

The Goldene Kammer (Golden Chamber) of St. Ursula’s Basilica in Cologne, Germany is both a storag... more The Goldene Kammer (Golden Chamber) of St. Ursula’s Basilica in Cologne, Germany is both a storage room and an artistic display of human remains. These remains are the physical proof of the myth of St. Ursula and her Eleven Thousand Virgins, who are said to have defended Cologne from invaders and become martyrs in the process. While much has been said about the Goldene Kammer and its vigorous medieval cult, I intend to consider this space in the larger context of charnel houses and ossuaries. I will begin by examining the development of charnel houses and ossuaries, first generally, and then within Western Europe and Germany. The remainder of this paper will endeavor to fill two major gaps in the scholarship on the Goldene Kammer, and will be divided into two sections. The first concerns the Goldene Kammer’s initial development. While the presence of a Goldene Kammer resembling that which remains to us today can only be dated with certainty to 1525, I propose that the presence of an ossuary may have existed on the site of St. Ursula’s as early as 1300. The second point in the Goldene Kammer’s biography that I intend to expand upon is the 1643 renovation that resulted in the Goldene Kammer’s current design. I agree that, as has been suggested, the patrons of this 1643 renovation intended to insert themselves into the narrative of St. Ursula via their patronage. I will also propose that, in addition to placing themselves into proximity with the Virgins, their choice to direct their patronage at an ossuary resulted from a contemporary interest in defining the distinctly-Catholic identity of Cologne following the 30 Years’ War. I hope to demonstrate that at both moments, the Goldene Kammer’s role as an ossuary was pivotal to its development.

The Arian Baptistry of Ravenna is an unusual building. It is one of the oldest surviving structur... more The Arian Baptistry of Ravenna is an unusual building. It is one of the oldest surviving structures in Ravenna, dating to the reign of Theodoric the Great (493-526 CE). Its dome mosaic, the only significant portion of the decorative program that still survives, deviates in unexpected ways from standard baptistries of the same period, including its local Orthodox counterpart. The dome’s mosaics have been the subject of lively scholarly debate for the last several decades. Most of this discussion, however, only considers the mosaic in comparison to the nearby Orthodox Baptistry, and claims that the Arian version is either a poorly-planned “copy” of the earlier program, or that the liturgical practices of Arianism encouraged the distinction of their ritual from that of the Orthodox (via the distinction of the visual program experienced in the process). While the Arian Baptistry is too fragmentary and the Arian faith too poorly documented to examine it independently of any other structure, I intend to apply some of the work that has been done on Ravenna’s Orthodox Baptistry of Neon to the Arian structure. I will propose that it was Theodoric’s intentions for Ravenna, and his desire to seize the power of the local bishop, that motivated the program of the Arian Baptistry.

The Arsenal Old Testament Bible (Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, MS 5211) was created in Acre i... more The Arsenal Old Testament Bible (Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, MS 5211) was created in Acre in the early 1250s, contemporary to the period in which Louis IX of France held his crusading headquarters in or at least near that city. This presence of the king during the production of the Arsenal Bible has led to much discussion about Louis’s intentions and beliefs in regards to the qualities and contents of this manuscript. The relationship between Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean had become increasingly complex during the 13th century, and Eastern-made objects and ideas were being brought west with increasing frequency. Their intensified presence was changing the opinion and role of Eastern culture and history in the West. In fact, Byzantine objects brought to Europe were in some cases seen as relics of another great Christian empire, of the past, and of Christianity in general, all simultaneously. By analyzing contemporary relics and reliquaries that intentionally incorporate aspects of the Eastern Mediterranean and Byzantium, and by analyzing depictions of the “other” in the images of the Arsenal Bible, I propose that the Arsenal Bible was an “intentionally authentic” relic of the Holy Land, of the crusading efforts of Europe, and as a relic of Louis IX who had begun to frame France as the “new Jerusalem” of the West and himself as a martyred Christian hero who was firmly entrenched in a biblical past.

Considering the incredible detail put into the Parthenon frieze, one would expect its imagery to ... more Considering the incredible detail put into the Parthenon frieze, one would expect its imagery to be far more visible to its visitors. Instead, as brought up by countless researchers in the past, these marbles are not only at a height and furthermore a sharp angle which would restrict their visibility, but they are also in a position which leaves them obstructed and in shadow. However, perhaps these details were never meant to be seen by mortal viewers, but were really meant as a gift to the gods. In this case, one may expect that the figures would be completely invisible to the human eye, but I propose that they are meant to be just visible enough so that a mortal viewer is not only aware of their presence but is also aware of the limits which restrict them as mortals. While mortals would face many limitations in the viewing of the Parthenon frieze, the gods would have none of these, and the position of the frieze as well as its great detail at the same time makes this relationship possible.

This thesis attempts a complete object biography of a fifth-century sarcophagus reliquary current... more This thesis attempts a complete object biography of a fifth-century sarcophagus reliquary currently held by the Menil Collection in Houston. This thesis proposes that the Menil reliquary is a container with acute agency in its original context that continues into its modern museum context. This stone container has openings on its lid and front face, a pattern of carved birds and crosses, and is shaped like a Roman sarcophagus. The relics contained by this reliquary are completely concealed. This makes an analysis of their container even more vital, as the Menil reliquary carries the signifiers for the material inside. Without reliquaries surrounding them, relics would be unrecognizable fragments. Reliquaries define relics. Due to its iconographic program and complete circulation system for liquids, the Menil sarcophagus reliquary was displayed visibly in a late-antique pilgrimage church. A common belief in Late Antiquity was that sacred power could be transferred via touch. Liquids poured into the tops of sarcophagus reliquaries touched the relics, sources of sacred power, inside. When they exited the second opening in the reliquary, these substances had also become sacred material. Audiences of these reliquaries could then interact directly with the sacred power they desired by touching, tasting, and otherwise experiencing these sanctified fluids. Reliquaries with this ability, including the Menil reliquary, transformed and provided a means of contacting otherwise-inaccessible sacred presences. The Menil sarcophagus reliquary was a visible object that communicated the above abilities to its late-antique audience through its various physical features. The Menil reliquary continues to be a tangible point of recognition of and access to invisible, distant worlds in its modern location. As a museum object, the Menil sarcophagus reliquary has become a relic like those it once contained, while the institution of the Menil Collection acts a reliquary. This object has an ongoing vitality and, in both its late-antique and modern contexts, makes tangible the otherwise unattainable.