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Chiasm in choros: The dance of inspirited bodies

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Bissera V. Pentcheva
Bissera V. Pentcheva
Bissera V. Pentcheva
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Abstract and Figures

This paper explores the chiastic sign ⊗ in Romanesque art showing its investment in the form of the crown of the saints (e.g., the corona on the golden statue of Sainte Foy at Conques); in the mirroring of celestial and terrestrial music (Paris, BnF, MS Lat. 776, fol. 1v); and in the chiastic step of Christ, the Archangel Michael, and the apostles (sculptures and the Beatus MS at Santo Domingo de Silos). The pirouetting step present in the art at Santo Domingo de Silos is interpreted here as the expression of the imbrication of human and divine. This entwining channels caritas: the love for one’s neighbour through which the faithful can return to the divine at the end of time. A powerful confirmation of these ideas about the interdigitation of human and divine through the practice of caritas is offered by the poetry and music for the feast of the Mandatum (The Washing of the Feet).
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Special issue: Legacies of medieval
dance
Chiasm in choros:Thedance
of inspirited bodies
Bissera V. Pentcheva
Department of Art & Art History, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Abstract This paper explores the chiastic sign in Romanesque art showing
its investment in the form of the crown of the saints (e.g., the corona on the
golden statue of Sainte Foy at Conques); in the mirroring of celestial and ter-
restrial music (Paris, BnF, MS Lat. 776, fol. 1v); and in the chiastic step of
Christ, the Archangel Michael, and the apostles (sculptures and the Beatus MS at
Santo Domingo de Silos). The pirouetting step present in the art at Santo
Domingo de Silos is interpreted here as the expression of the imbrication of
human and divine. This entwining channels caritas: the love for one’s neighbour
through which the faithful can return to the divine at the end of time. A powerful
confirmation of these ideas about the interdigitation of human and divine
through the practice of caritas is offered by the poetry and music for the feast of
the Mandatum (The Washing of the Feet).
Re
´sume
´Cet article explore le signe chiastique dans l’art romane en montrant
son investissement sous la forme de la couronne des saints (par exemple, la
couronne sur la statue dore
´e de Sainte Foy a
`Conques); dans la mise en miroir
des musiques ce
´lestes et terrestres (Paris, BnF, MS Lat. 776, fol. 1v) ; et dans le
pas chiastique du Christ, l’archange Michel et les apo
ˆtres (sculptures et le Beatus
MS a
`Santo Domingo de Silos). Le pas de pirouette pre
´sent dans l’art a
`Santo
Domingo de Silos est interpre
´te
´ici comme l’expression de l’imbrication de
l’humain et du divin. Cet encheve
ˆtrement canalise la caritas : l’amour du pro-
chain par lequel les fide
`les peuvent revenir au divin a
`la fin des temps. Une
puissante confirmation de ces ide
´es sur l’interdigitation de l’humain et du divin a
`
travers la pratique de la caritas est offerte par la poe
´sie et la musique de la fe
ˆte du
Mandatum (Le lavement des pieds).
Ó2023 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited. 2040-5960 postmedieval: a journal of medieval cultural studies
Vol. 14, 2-3, 315–343
www.palgrave.com/journals
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... Analyzing medieval depictions of Christ and the prophets in sculpture and manuscript illustration, art historian Bissera Pentcheva observes choreographed crossings of their legs and feet. She argues that this chiastic sign symbolizes the inter-penetration of the terrestrial and the celestial, accomplished by the Incarnation (Pentcheva 2023). 63 In a comparable vein, another folio from the aforementioned Queen Mary Psalter positions the biblical dance of Miriam (Exodus 15:20) above the burial of St. Catherine of Alexandria ( Figure 6) (Anon Circa 1310-1320. ...
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