Estonian-Finnish Art Connections in the Middle Ages and the Bells of Turku Cathedral

Abstract

In recent decades, increasing scholarly attention has been paid to the economic and social connections between medieval Finland and Estonia, including the migration from south coast Finland to the Hanse town of Tallinn. However, the ways geographical closeness, family relations and trade networks influenced the practices of donating and commissioning religious objects have not merited much attention. The first part of this study, based on archival sources, explores instances where Finnish churches acquired artworks from Tallinn and Tallinn town-dwellers donated devotional objects to Finnish churches. The second part is a case study of a Tallinn bell founder, Tile Klotbrade, who in 1515 was commissioned to cast bells for Turku Cathedral. The paper argues that Tallinn was an important center for the production of religious objects that ultimately ended up in Finland.