Description (Physical description)
Description for Z 28364: 'Fragment of Anglo-Saxon cross or tombstone with interlace on one face.'
Event Date
Author: maa

Context (Field collection)
The original was found in 1877 embedded in the ruined south-east angle-buttress of the chancel of St Mary's Church, Hitcham, Suffolk.
Event Date 1877
Author: Imogen Gunn

Description (Physical description)
Accession Register for 1892.120: 'Cement cast of a portion of the carved stem of an Anglican cross.'
Event Date 1892
Author: Imogen Gunn

Context (Related Documents)
Entered in the 1892 Annual Report under the 'Christian [Age]' section.
Event Date 1892
Author: Imogen Gunn

Description (Physical description)
Accession Register for Z 28364: 'Fragment of A/Saxon cross with interlace.'
Event Date 13/12/1978
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (Amendments / updates)
Guy Points, author of 'An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon Church Architecture & Anglo-Saxon & Anglo-Scandinavian Stone Sculpture', viewed this object in March 2017 and dates it to circa 9th century. This has been added to the Period field, where there was previously no date.
Event Date 4/4/2017
Author: Imogen Gunn

Description (Physical description)
Fragment of cross shaft with interlace on one face, subsequently cut down on all four sides. Traces of plaster and mortar on carved surface.
Event Date 15/8/2019
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (Analysis)
On 22 November 2021, Mark Barron and Richard Ellison, geological advisors to the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture (CASSS) project, examined this cross fragment. Although Paul Everson and David Stocker, also of CASS, had tentatively identified it as being carved from limestone when they first examined it in August 2018, upon closer examination Barron and Ellison determined that is is actually a cast in 'some form of artificial stone.' They also dated the original to approximately the 10th century.
Event Date 22/11/2021
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Description (Physical description)
Cast of a cross shaft segment with carved interlace on one face. Made of some form of artificial stone, with traces of plaster and mortar on the decorated face.
Event Date 23/9/2022
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (References)
Everson, Paul and Stocker, David. 2023. Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture. Volume XIV: Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p.386
Event Date 2023
Author: Lily Stancliffe

Context (Amendments / updates)
At some point between 1921 and 1987, this objects lost its association with its original accession number (1892.120) and was re-accessioned as Z 28364, as an unprovenanced cast of a Medieval cross fragment. It was conclusively re-provenanced as the Hitcham cross (1892.120) thanks to description, illustration and measurements noted by Cyril Fox in 1921 in his card catalogue of Early Medieval stonework, held in the Museum's archive (WO5/1/5).
Event Date 5/11/2023
Author: Imogen Gunn