Context (Display)
Previously mounted on perspex for display with 1883.735 B and 1913.363, with handwritten label reading: 'LIMOGES ENAMELS XII CENTURY. Objects from Relic-caskets, Gospel-covers, etc.: 1. FULBOURNE [sic]. C.A.S. 2. CAMBRIDGE. EVANS COLLn. 3. CONINGTON CHURCH, HUNTS.'
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Field collection)
Accessions Register for 1890.6: 'Found in the wall of the church, Conington Church, St. Ives, Hunts'
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Related Documents)
See lantern slide (LS.134956.TC1) for earlier mounting of 1883.735 A, 1883.735 B and 1913.363.
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Display)
Exhibited by Charles Cardale Babington at the 14 March 1870 meeting of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society.
Event Date 14/3/1870
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Acquisition Details)
This Limoges figurine was donated to the Cambridge Antiquarian Society in 1874 by Miss Tillard and in the same year was transferred to the Fitzwilliam Museum by Rev. S.S. Lewis (Secretary of the CAS and an early curator of the Society's Collections) where it was given the accession number M.1-1874. Although not physically present in the CAS collections in 1883, when they became the founding archaeological collection of MAA, it was nevertheless given an accession number of 1883.735 A. It was physically transferred from the Fitzwilliam Museum in January 1890, when it was assigned the accession number 1890.6. Whilst it appears that in 1890 the museum was unaware that 1883.735 A and 1890.6 were the same object, at some point in the 20th century they began being treated as likely the same object and this was confirmed in 2022.
Event Date 1874
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Field collection)
The 1883 Accession Register gives the date of collection or, more likely, the date of donation to the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, as 1874, whilst the catalogue card gives the date as 1872. It is not clear what source the latter is based on, and is likely incorrect.
Event Date 1874
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (References)
(1878). 'An Abstract of the Proceedings at the Meetings of the Society During the Seven Years Ending May 19, 1873.' Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, vol. 17. p. 20
Event Date 1878
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for 1883.735 A: 'Demi figure, Limoge enamel (?off candlestick)'
Event Date 1883
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Description (Physical description)
Accession Register for 1883.735 A: 'Demi-figure, enamel, (off candlestick?)'
Event Date 1883
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Description (Physical description)
Accession Register for 1890.6: 'Demi figure (height 2.4") of an apostle holding a book. Limoges enamel.'
Event Date 1890
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Description (Physical description)
Annual Report for 1890.6 reads: 'A small demi-figure of an apostle holding a book. Limoges enamel of the 12th century.'
Event Date 1890
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Acquisition Details)
1890 Accession Register: 'Presented to the Fitzwilliam Museum 1874 by Miss Tillard (Conington Rectory).' According to the Fitzwilliam's catalogue entry (M.1-1874), Miss Tillard gave it 'through the Rev. L.L. Lewis' [sic? - could this possibly be S.S. Lewis?].
Event Date 1890
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Amendments / updates)
Two records for this object were originally entered, but have now been amalgamated. They gave slightly different information regarding the field collection. Record one records:
Found: Connington Church
Collected in 1872
Source: Miss Tillian [sic - Tillard]

Record two records:
Found: Conington church wall.
Date: ?12 Century AD
The CAS register adds: '1874 (Miss Tillian [sic - Tillard])'.
Event Date 23/04/1987
Author: maa

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Description (Physical description)
Record for 1883.735 A: 'Limoges enamel, possible from a candlestick.'
Event Date 23/4/1987
Author: maa

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Description (Physical description)
Record for 1890.6: 'Demi figure of an apostle holding a book. Limoges enamel.'
Event Date 7/3/1988
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

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Context (Amendments / updates)
It seems that the two Limoges figurines from Conington Church donated by Miss Tillard (1883.735 A and 1890.6) are in fact the same object. Only one figurine was exhibited by C.C. Babington at a meeting of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society (CAS) on 14 Mary 1870, which he described as being 'found embedded in the wall' of the church. The Accession Register entry for 1883.735 A ('demi figure, enamel') gives the date of donation to the CAS as 1874 (by '(Miss Tillard)'). This is the same year that the Fitzwilliam Museum records the entry of M.1-1874, a ‘half length figure of an Apostle holding a Gospel Book, with Limoges enamel’ found in the wall of Conington Church and 'given by Miss Tillard, through the Rev. L.L. Lewis.' This is almost certainly a transcription error, and instead refers to the Rev. S.S. Lewis, Secretary of the CAS and an early curator of the Society's collection. M.1-1874 was then transferred to MAA in 1890, and accessioned as 1890.6. If there were really two Limoges figurines from Conington Church donated by Miss Tillard, no second figure has been identified. Instead, the object described as 1890.6 and matching its measurements has been treated as 1883.735 A for many decades, judging by the historic display labels, and 1890.6 listed as "missing". This is likely because the objects are in fact the same.
It may be that the figurine was originally donated to the CAS museum in 1874 and that same year was transferred to the Fitzwilliam Museum by the Rev. S.S. Lewis (it should be noted that by the 1870s, much of the CAS's collection was actually stored in the Fitzwilliam Museum and in Lewis' own rooms, owing to the lack of their own museum). If so, then the figurine was mistakenly included in the 1883 accession register recording the 1883 CAS donation, and was actually "returned" to the museum in 1890 when the Fitzwilliam transferred to it MAA. The Fitzwilliam Museum no longer has M.1-1874, and in their opinion (communicated by Ellen Gage, Study Room Assistant on 30 June 2022) the "two" objects are the same. Therefore the two records have been amalgamated and a note added regarding this collection history.
Event Date 12/8/2022
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)