REFORMATIONEXHIBITION

Anexhibitionofmanuscripts,coinsandotherobjectstocelebratethe500thanniversaryoftheReformationThe30itemsshownherehavebeenselectedfromtheexhibitionthatwillbeheldinsomenon-statecollegesin2017.AlltheitemsintheexhibitionarefromtheCCCRHCollection.

1

ThisstatuettewasmadeofolivewoodinJerusalemandshowsJesuswashingthefeetofPeterwhohasanexpressionofresignationonhisface(John13:1-17).Althoughmadeinthe20thcenturyitisinthemedievalstyleofart.Length16cm.

2

AclaylampandphialfoundinatombnearJerusalem.Theyhavebeendatedtothe1stcenturyAD.SimilaritemsmighthavebeeninJesus’stombaslampswereleftburningintombs.

3

ThisisafragmentofanEgyptianpapyrusmanuscriptdatedtotheperiodfromthe1stcenturyBCtothe2ndcenturyAD.ThewritingisnotclearanditisprobablyunrelatedtoChristianity,buttheearliestChristianmanuscriptswerewrittenonpapyrusandmanysurviveonlyasfragmentslikethis.Itis8x5cm.

4

MedievalBibleswerehandwritteninLatinonvellumandwereusuallylargeandexpensive.This“pocketBible”,madeinParisin1260,isonly14by9cm.

5

DetailofaleaffromaBiblemadeinParisin1247.Withthetoolusedtopressstraightlinesontothevellumthescribehasdrawnafunnyfaceinthemargin.Isittheboss’sgrumpyface?Whatacheekyscribe!

Ontheothersideoftheleafthescribehaswrittenthechapternumberinthemargin,butwhenlookedatfromthesideitisalaughingface.Isitthescribelaughingattheboss?Whatacleverscribe!

6

ThisisaleaffromalargeBiblewithacommentarybyPeterLombard(1100-1160)whowasaninfluentialtheologian.ItwashandwritteninLatinonvellumin1210.ThetextisPaul’sFirstlettertotheCorinthians8:7–9:6.Thecommentaryisthesmallerwriting.

7

ApagefromaBookofHoursmadeinFlandersin1470.BooksofHourswerepersonalprayerbooksrichlydecoratedandonlyaffordablebythewealthy.

8

SomeBooksofHourshaveminiaturepaintingsinthem.OnthispagefromaBookofHoursmadeatParisin1460themeetingofMaryandElizabeth(Luke1:39-45)isshown.

9

TheGutenbergMedal(byAntonScharff,1845-1903)honoursJohannGutenbergwhoinventedprintingbymovabletypeinabout1450.Hisinventionmadebooksavailabletoeveryoneatanaffordableprice.

10

ThiswoodcutisonapagefromTheShipofFoolsbySebastianBrandt.ItwasprintedatStrasbourgin1497.AsatiricalallegorycriticalofsocietyandtheChurchitwasverypopularandpreparedthewayfortheReformation.

11

IntheExhibitionthereisawholeBibleprintedatLyonin1514.LikemostBiblesatthetimeitisinLatin,butitisunusualinthatithasover1000woodcuts.OntheleftGodiscreatingtheanimalsincludingaunicorn.OntherightGodismakingEvefromoneofAdam’sribs.OrdinarypeoplecouldnotreadLatin.

12

DetailofaleaffromaLatinbreviaryprintedin1508atPassauinGermany.Abreviaryisabookthatcontainsprayers,psalms,etc.tobesaidatsettimesofthedaybypriestsandothersintheChurch.ThewoodcutshowsthemartyrdomofStephen.Lutherwouldhaveownedabreviarylikethis.

13

IntheExhibitionthereisawholeGreekNewTestamentprintedbyRobertEstienneJnratParisin1568.ItwasbasedonErasmus’GreekNTprintedin1516.LuthertranslatedErasmus’2ndeditionof1519intoGermanin1522.

14

ThisisaleaffromtheFirstEditionofLuther’sGermanNewTestamentprintedin1529.Thefirstprintingofthiseditionwasin1522.ItshowsthebeginningofLuke’sGospel.OrdinarypeopleinGermanycouldnowreadthegospelintheirownlanguage.

15

ThisisaleaffromtheFirstPrintingoftheFirstEditionofLuther’sGermanPentateuch(1stfivebooksintheOldTestament)in1523.ItisLuther’sprologue.InprologuesandmarginalnotesheinterpretedtheBibleandpromotedEvangelicalism,whichincludedtheideaofjustificationbyfaith.

16

CoinsthatLuthermighthaveheld:LutherlivedmostofhislifeinSaxonyandwouldhavehandledthecoinsissuedbythedukesofSaxony.Hediedin1546.

Thissilverpennywasmintedfrom1530to1533.

Thissilverquartertalerbearsthedate1539

Thissilvergrosswasmintedfrom1500to1507.

17

Thisbronzereliquarycrosswasmadeinthe11thcentury.Areliquaryisacontainerforarelic,whichisasacredobjectsuchasahairfromasaint.Luther’spatron,FredericktheWise,wasabletofinancetheuniversityatWittenbergbecausehehadalargecollectionofrelicswhichattractedpilgrimstothecity.Thisreliquaryis12cminlength.

18

Thissilverschraubmedaille(screw-medal)containsapictureofsixepisodesinLuther’slifefrom1517to1521.ItwasmadeatAugsburgin1730tocommemoratetheAugsburgConfessionof1530.Itis45mmindiameter.

MelanchthonreadstheAugsburgConfession(theLutheranconfessionoffaith)toCharlesV.

Luthernailshis95thesestothechurchTetzel,aDominicanfriarissellingandoorinWittenbergon31stOct.1517.indulgencetoagentleman.

LutherisinterviewedbyCardinalCajetan,the LutherdebateswithJohannEck,apapallegateinGermany,atAugsburgin1518.Germanscholar,atLeipzigin1519.

18Continued

InRomein1520Luther’sbooksareburntInDecember1520LutherthrowstheandinJanuary1521heisexcommunicated.papalbullintoabonfireofoldbooks.

In1521LutherattendstheDietofWormsandappearsbeforeEmperorCharlesV.LutherescapestoWartburgCastlewherehebeginstranslatingtheNewTestamentintoGerman.In1529attheSecondDietofSpeyertheprinceswhosupportLutherandopposeanti-Lutheranmeasuresarecalled“Protestants”.

19

IntheExhibitionthereisanexampleofapapalbull.Attachedtotheparchmentdocumentistheleadseal(bulla)ofPopeClementXII,1730-40.ItisamarriageauthorizationbutitwouldbesimilartothebullsenttoLuther.

Onthisleadseal(bulla)ofPopeClementXIIaretheheadsofStPeterandStPaul,whichwereusuallyonpapalbullas.

20

IntheExhibitiontherearedocuments(unrelatedtoreligiousmatters)signedbytheHolyRomanEmperorsCharlesVandFerdinandI.Theirsignaturesareclearlyshown.TheybothopposedtheReformation.

OnofficialdocumentsCharlessignedhisLatinname,Carolus.

21

Albert,dukeofPrussia,wasafollowerofLutherandonhiscointhereisinLatin:“Therighteouslivebyfaith”,whichwaswhatLutherpreached.LutherwasinfluencedbyStPaulwhowrotethatoneisjustifiedbyfaithnotbyworks.

22

Thissilvermedallionwasmadein1715tohonourJohanHus,aBohemianreformer,whowasexecutedasahereticin1415.HuswasinfluencedbytheEnglishreformer,JohnWycliffe,andLutherwasinfluencedbyHus.

23

Thissilvermedallionwasmadein1630tocelebratethecentenaryoftheAugsburgConfession.MartinLutherpointstoabookonwhichiswritteninLatin:“TheWordoftheLordremainsforever1630SD.”SDstandsforSebastianDadler(1586–1657)whowascourtmedallistatDresdenfrom1625.

24

AHebrewscrollcontainingtheBookofNumbers.Itwashandwrittenondeer-skinparchmentinabout1700.ItwasfoundinMorrocointheatticofabuildingthatusedtobeasynagogue.LuthertranslatedhisGermanOldTestamentfromtheHebrew,buthewouldhaveusedaprintedbook.

25

DetailofaRomanMissalprintedinLatinatVenicein1533.AmissalisabookwithdirectionsandwordsforcelebratingMass,alsoknownasHolyCommunion.ThismissalhasawoodcutofSaintMatthew.Lutherreformedtheliturgyandpublishedhis“GermanMass”in1526.

26

AleaffromaBookofHoursprintedatParisin1531byYolandeBonhomme-Kerver,animportantearlyfemaleprinter.Withthewideuseofprinting,BooksofHoursbecameunfashionableastheyhadlosttheirroleasstatussymbols.

27

Russianmetalicon,19thcentury.TheOrthodoxChurchwaslargelyunaffectedbytheReformation.OntherightJohntheBaptistpointstoChristinthecup.

28

AleaffromtheNewTestamenttranslatedintoEnglishbyWilliamTyndale.ThisisthefirstillustratedquartoeditionprintedbyR.JuggeinLondonin1552.WhatLutherdidfortheGermanBibleandlanguage,TyndaledidfortheEnglishBibleandlanguage.

29

IntheExhibitionthereisawholeEthiopianBiblewithsomecolouredpictures.ItishandwrittenonvelluminGe‘ez,aliturgicallanguagenolongerspoken.ThispictureoftheLastSupperistypicalofEthiopianart.

30

IntheExhibitionthereisawholeillustratedBibleinGermanaccordingtoLuther’stranslationandprintedatWittenbergin1703.

ThevariousDukesofSaxonywhosupportedtheReformationareshown.

ThisisthetitlepageoftheNewTestamentinLuther’sGermanBible.ItwasnotonlytheideaofapurifiedtextoftheBibleintheGermanlanguagethatcausedexcitement,itwasLuther’sinterpretationofit.InintroductionsandmarginalnotesheexplainedanewwayofunderstandingtheBible.

In1517MartinLutherinitiatedtheReformationandchangedtheworld.In2017wesalutehim.

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