Farnell, Parish Church And Burial-ground

Farnell, Angus, Pictish cross-slab

Measurements: H 2.04m, W 0.72m

Stone type: Old Red Sandstone

Place of discovery: NO 6273 5542

Present location: Meffan Museum, Forfar ?

Evidence for discovery: found in Farnell churchyard in 1849 and placed in the porch at Kinnaird Castle. It was then donated by the Earl of Southesk to Montrose Museum in 1865.

Present condition: worn, damaged and broken into two with missing portions.

Description

Once an imposing slab, these two fragments show that it is carved in relief on both broad faces and that the top is shaped into a pediment. On face A the cross extends almost the full length of the slab and its side-arms the full width of the slab. The arm terminals are rectangular and there is a central square and a ring linking the arms. The entire cross is filled with three-cord interlace within a roll moulding, and the ring with simple key pattern. On this face the border of the slab takes the form of a flatband moulding with two incised median lines, but the apex is too damaged to see whether it was embellished. Either side of the upper arm of the cross there is zoomorphic interlace, while flanking the shaft are two panels on either side, the upper two containing non-identical zoomorphic motifs and the lower two filled with key pattern on the left and simple fat interlaced strands.

The upper part of face C has a large area where the carving has flaked off, but its general character is clear. The sides of the slab have a wide frame consisting of double roll mouldings with a median strip of flat pellets, which towards the top of the slab becomes the bodies of two animals each with a foreleg and at the apex an open-jawed head with fangs, large round eye and pointed ear. Their heads confront one another and their symmetrical forelegs just touch the head of the large frontal angel below. Beneath the angel is a ringed cross with an inner incised cross and squared terminals. Beneath cross is an apple tree with Adam and Eve on either side, Eve holding an apple and Adam a shepherd’s crook. They are flanked on either side by a very large serpent, head downwards with protruding eyes.

Date range: ninth or tenth century.

Primary references: Chalmers 1848, pl 21; ECMS, iii, 219-21; RCAHMS 2003.

Compiled by A Ritchie 2016

Farnell, Angus, Pictish cross-slab

Measurements: H 2.04m, W 0.72m

Stone type: Old Red Sandstone

Place of discovery: NO 6273 5542

Present location: Meffan Museum, Forfar

Evidence for discovery: found in Farnell churchyard in 1849 and placed in the porch at Kinnaird Castle. It was then donated by the Earl of Southesk to Montrose Museum in 1865.

Present condition: worn, damaged and broken into two with missing portions.

Description

Once an imposing slab, these two fragments show that it is carved in relief on both broad faces and that the top is shaped into a pediment. On face A the cross extends almost the full length of the slab and its side-arms the full width of the slab. The arm terminals are rectangular and there is a central square and a ring linking the arms. The entire cross is filled with three-cord interlace within a roll moulding, and the ring with simple key pattern. On this face the border of the slab takes the form of a flat-band moulding with two incised median lines, but the apex is too damaged to see whether it was embellished. Either side of the upper arm of the cross there is zoomorphic interlace, while flanking the shaft are two panels on either side, the upper two containing non-identical zoomorphic motifs and the lower two filled with key pattern on the left and simple fat interlaced strands.

The upper part of face C has a large area where the carving has flaked off, but its general character is clear. The sides of the slab have a wide frame consisting of double roll mouldings with a median strip of flat pellets, which towards the top of the slab becomes the bodies of two animals each with a foreleg and at the apex an open-jawed head with fangs, large round eye and pointed ear. Their heads confront one another and their symmetrical forelegs just touch the head of the large frontal angel below. Beneath the angel is a ringed cross with an inner incised cross and squared terminals. Beneath cross is an apple tree with Adam and Eve on either side, Eve holding an apple and Adam a shepherd’s crook. They are flanked on either side by a very large serpent, head downwards with protruding eyes.

Date range: ninth or tenth century.

Primary references: Chalmers 1848, pl 21; ECMS pt 3, 219-21; RCAHMS 2003.

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2018