St Vigeans

St Vigeans 10 (St Vigianus), Angus, cross-slab fragments

Measurements: H 0.64m, W 0.35m, D 0.07m

Stone type: sandstone

Place of discovery: NO c 6384 4289

Present location: in St Vigeans Museum (HES).

Evidence for discovery: found in 1871 re-used in the basal course of the east gable of the church. It was water-saturated and as it dried out it was reduced to ‘a dozen fragments’, which were subsequently stuck together. By 1903 it had been broken again into two and was kept in the church tower. It was taken into St Vigeans Museum in 1960.

Present condition: severely worn and fractured, the stone was conserved in 2008.

Description

This small cross-slab has a short tenon at the base, though it is uncertain whether this is original (if it is original, it implies that the cross-slab stood in a socket). The top is somewhat angled and four faces of the slab have been carved in relief, face A bears a cross outlined with roll moulding and with circular armpits, which is filled with interlace. There are birds with long necks on either side of the upper arm, and panels of interlace flank the shaft, that on the right being longer than that on the left.

Face B is carved with a panel of interlace, while face D has a panel of key pattern.

On face C, only the upper part of the surface survives and shows two frontal human figures seated side by side on a bench, beneath an arched canopy of plaited cords. Both figures appear to lack hair and the left-hand figure may be wearing a penannular brooch.

Date range: ninth or tenth century.

Primary references: ECMS pt 3, 270-1; Geddes 2017, no VIG010.

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2017