St Vigeans 6 Description of stone
Event ID 1028451
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Early Medieval Carved Stones Project
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1028451
St Vigeans 6 (St Vigianus), Angus, Pictish free-standing cross fragment
Measurements: H 0.11m, W 0.26m, D 0.6m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NO c 6384 4289
Present location: in St Vigeans Museum (HES).
Evidence for discovery: found during grave-digging in 1888 and taken into the church. It was taken into St Vigeans Museum in 1960.
Present condition: three original but damaged edges and one broken (lower) edge. The carving is a little worn.
Description
Although fragmentary, the entire width of the stone is present, and Geddes and Borland felt that 260mm is too small for a cross-slab and that it must be the terminal of an arm of a cross. The likely orientation of the Pictish symbol suggests that the fragment comes from the upper arm of the cross. There is a plain flat-band border to the two broad faces, which are carved in relief, and the end of the arm is slightly curved. Face A contains a panel of interlace consisting of knots linked by diagonal cords, which face C bears a heavily defined double-disc and Z-rod symbol. The terminals of the Z-rod do not survive, but the diagonal element is remarkable in being entirely behind the bar of the double disc and in being sunk at a lower level. The two discs are deeply hollowed in order to create four prominent bosses in each, carved with triple spirals and linked by trumpet motifs. Face D is incised with short parallel lines resembling an ogham inscription.
Date range: eighth or ninth century.
Primary references: ECMS pt 3, 241-2; Fraser 2008, no 67.6; Geddes 2017, no VIG006.
Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2017
