Dupplin Description of stone
Date 18 May 2016
Event ID 1010495
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Early Medieval Carved Stones Project
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1010495
Dupplin, Perthshire, free-standing cross
Measurements: H 2.92m (2.62m above the base), span of side-arms 0.94m, depth at centre of cross-head 0.38m; base L 1.4m, H 0.6m, W 1.15m
Stone type: old red sandstone
Place of discovery: NO 0505 1896
Present location: within St Serf’s Church, Dunning.
Evidence for discovery: recorded in situ in the 1830s by Skene, set on a terrace to the immediate north of the River Earn.
Present condition: weathered.
Description
This monument consists of a cross set in a base stone, both carved from single blocks of sandstone. The cross faced east and was set into a socket at the west end of the base, leaving a small platform in front of it. The socket is outlined by a plain moulding, and there are traces of interlace around it. All five faces of the cross are carved in relief, as are the undersides of the arms. The edges have a roll moulding, which on faces A and C become scrolls at the cusping of the arms of the cross-head, with an inner narrow roll moulding on faces B, C and D. Face E at the top of the cross is carved with a tegulated finial, now very weathered.
The cross-head on face A (east face) is dominated by a prominent central boss with corrugated sides, which is enclosed by two plant scrolls, the bases of which are in the lower arms and which expand into the side arms and the upper arm. The top arm is elongated by a panel of diagonal key pattern. Beneath the cross-head, the top panel of the shaft contains a warrior on horseback, facing left, above a panel into which four foot soldiers are compressed, all facing left and carrying spears and wearing shields on straps around their necks. They wear knee-length tunics with decorated hems. In the panels beneath them are two leaping hounds. Anyone kneeling in front of face A could see the two animals carved on the undersides of the side arms.
Narrow face B (south face) displays four panels of interlace pattern on the cross-head, including diagonal key-pattern on the end of the side-arm, and three panels on the shaft. The uppermost contains an animal with head turned back to bite its own tail, and the panel below a musician seated on a chair playing a large triangular harp, and at the base a panel with knotwork.
The cross-head on face C (west face) has a deep border of ribbing around a boss ornamented with step pattern, and the decoration on the arms combines animal-headed interlace with double spirals. The shaft is divided into three panels, the uppermost of which contains a worn seven-line Latin inscription. This mentions the historically documented king, Custantin mac Forcussa (AD 789-820). The central panel contains four pairs of plump birds, while the lower panel is carved with a naked figure wrestling with the jaws of a lion above what appear to be a boar and an upright bear.
Date: early ninth century.
Narrow face D (north face)has panels of curvilinear and geometric interlace and step pattern on the cross-head. On the shaft are three panels containing an animal above a great triangular harp played by a seated figure. The lowest panel contains double-ribbon interlace.
References: Skene 1832, 6; ECMS pt 3, 319-21; Ewart et al 2007.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
