Saint James, Detailed image depicts the bust of Saint James adorned with a cloak featuring two swords crossed and a sea shell in the middle while he looks off to his left. The image likely depicts an image that symbolizes the military order of Saint James, likely created to accompany pilgrims on the way to visit the tomb of Saint James the greater. The seashell on his cloak recalls Saint James' profession as a fisherman from the Gospels and a later Hagiography story in which after James was executed, his body was brought to Galicia to be laid to rest, on the journey back a horse was spooked by the presence of the saint's body, dragging the horse and the knight astride into the water. According to legend, the last miracle of Saint James was reviving the knight and the horse out of the water, both of which emerged from the sea covered in seashells.

 Item — Box: 300
Identifier: spc-mss0088-s46-i0043

Staff Only
Saint James, Detailed image depicts the bust of Saint James adorned with a cloak featuring two swords crossed and a sea shell in the middle while he looks off to his left. The image likely depicts an image that symbolizes the military order of Saint James, likely created to accompany pilgrims on the way to visit the tomb of Saint James the greater. The seashell on his cloak recalls Saint James' profession as a fisherman from the Gospels and a later Hagiography story in which after James was executed, his body was brought to Galicia to be laid to rest, on the journey back a horse was spooked by the presence of the saint's body, dragging the horse and the knight astride into the water. According to legend, the last miracle of Saint James was reviving the knight and the horse out of the water, both of which emerged from the sea covered in seashells.

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Scope and Contents

Vanderbilt photo identifier: SC.MSS.088.SCUL.0037; Public Notes: No notes on the image to suggest artistry or repository but dimensions of the image are listed on the back

Dates

  • Creation: 1930 - 1967

Conditions Governing Access

This collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Special Collections in the Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Collections should be requested 2-3 days prior to visiting in order to facilitate easier access. For questions or to request a collection, contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu.

Biographical / Historical

Subjects: Sculptures; Religious Figures; Religious Subjects; Saints and Martyrs; Saint James; Saint Attributes; Military Order of Saint James; Seashells; Work type: sculpture

Full Extent

1 Items : Image Work Type: photographic print ; Image height (in.): 8.6; Image width (in.): 10.5in.

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

About this Site

This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.

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