Capital with Archangels (DO BZ.1950.24)
By Maire O'Donnell '23, Clark University
This marble capital depicts an archangel, a rank of angel that is recognized in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Holding a staff, he may be the archangel Raphael, patron saint of travelers and sailors in the Christian tradition. Textured wings protrude from the archangel’s back, and the corners of the capital are ornamented with swirling volutes. This capital topped a column, likely inside of a crusader church in the eastern Mediterranean. Crusader architecture was characterized by an energetic interaction between local and western European styles (often similar to that of Romanesque pilgrimage churches), modes of construction, and materials.
