Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture. XII: Nottinghamshire, by Paul Everson and David Stocker

Abstract

This recent addition to the impressive Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture focuses on the relatively tight geographic region of the historic county of Nottinghamshire. The structure reflects the CASSS standard of introductory chapters covering earlier research; geology; historical background; a discussion of key styles and motifs of ornament; general overviews of monument types and groupings; and a discussion bringing various strands together, before the presentation of the detailed catalogue and photographic illustrations. Catalogue entries follow the standard CASSS format, including detailed monument descriptions and specific discussion on art historical context. Paul Everson and David Stocker’s Nottinghamshire volume includes detailed catalogue entries for thirty-two monuments from twenty-two sites (with a further sixty-seven more briefly listed in an appendix, as they post-date the Anglo-Saxon period). When first opening the volume, it is perhaps advisable for those not already well versed in the sculpture of Nottinghamshire to begin ‘at the back’ and peruse through the catalogue entries and photographs first. This would help reinforce the range and challenging conditions of the monuments discussed before the detail of the authors’ text is attempted. The volume includes high-profile monuments such as Stapleford no. 1, a tall heavily carved round-shaft type, for which the authors develop new and important strands of argument on its date (early? ninth century) and iconographic content with a consideration of its materiality (a hard to carve gritstone), monumentality (pp. 189–95) and landscape situation near a ford in the river (p. 76). The volume also champions the smaller, less well-studied and new fragments from South Leverton, including a cross-shaft fragment and fragment of stone rood (pp. 74–5; 170–8), which help to flesh out the Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical and lordly landscape.