Treasures of the Black Death: Catalogue Review

Jewish Life and Precious Items from 14th-Century Erfurt and Colmar

Feb 24, 2009 Frances Spiegel

• Treasures of the Black Death
• Christine Descatoire, Editor
• The Wallace Collection, 2009
• 112 pages, 24 x 27.5 cm, full colour
• ISBN: 978 0 900785 95 2 (Paperback)
• Price £17.99

In the 14th Century communities all over Europe were devastated by the Black Death. Blame fell on the Jews who were persecuted and subsequently slaughtered, but not before they had buried their most treasured possessions. They had hoped to one day reclaim these items but, of course, they did not.

Treasures of the Black Death

The Wallace Collection's exhibition, Treasures of the Black Death, tells of the discovery, many years later, of these buried treasures. The catalogue is a permanent record of the exhibition. It is also a tightly focused publication containing informative essays providing an insight into the history of European Jews in the 14th Century, their way of life, their place in the social structure, their persecution and subsequent death.

Layout of Treasures of the Black Death

The first half of this publication includes contributions by Christine Descatoire, Christoph Clüse, Jörg R. Müller, Marian Campbell, Karin Sczech, Maria Stürzebecher, Joahnn Michael Fritz, Michel Dhénin and Mario Schlapke.

The volume is divided into chapters devoted to:

• The establishment of Jewish communities in medieval Britain and Central Europe and their place in society.
• The spread of the Black Death, the reaction to it, and the destruction of Jewish society.
• The contents of the Colmar treasure and the circumstances surrounding the removal of some items from the site, at the moment of discovery, by opportunist workmen.
• The contents of the Erfurt treasure and the circumstances surrounding its burial and subsequent discovery.
• A discussion of other treasures discovered in Europe and their contents, some of which have proven Jewish connections.
• The work of secular gold- and silversmiths in the 14th Century.
• A discussion of how the coins and ingots show the international nature of society in medieval Colmar and Erfurt.

The second part of the catalogue is devoted to a scholarly and detailed examination of the treasure. The editor and contributors have provided interesting and well-focused chapters discussing how each piece might have been used. They have included the precise measurements of each item together with a description of the metals and stones used, and the item's historical background.

Each piece is accompanied by a colour photograph. However, in many cases rings, brooches and dress ornaments have been photographed on black backgrounds so that the reader cannot appreciate the true beauty of this jewellery or the skill of the craftsmen who created these remarkable items.

In addition, the occasional use of unexplained Latin phrases may be a problem for some readers and could leave them feeling frustrated. Despite this Treasures of the Black Death is a fascinating read.

Source:

• Descatoire, C. (ed.), Treasures of the Black Death (exh. cat.). The Wallace Collection, London, 2009