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Collections and Critiques

Of particular interest at this time, due to the current exhibition at St. Paul's Cathedral of Ecclesiastical Art, is the small roundell of stained glass exhibited in the Fogg Museum. This interesting example of eighteen century glass work is off the generally traversed corridors, and it is therefore wise to call it again to the attention of the visitors to the Fogg Museum.

The circular window is of interest not only because of its own intrinsic beauty and value, but because of the very question of its provenance. At the time of its presentation to the Museum, the window was said to have come from Canterbury Cathedral and was thought to represent Thomas Becket healing pilgrims at a shrine. It was suggested at that time that the glass was removed from Canterbury Cathedral about 200 years ago, the supposition being that the man in charge of the glass at that time was more interested in the new style of eighteenth century glass than in the old.

However, the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral in 1926, on viewing the photograph of the Fogg Museum roundell felt that this did not represent the scene first mentioned, as the St. Thomas windows now in situs at the Cathedral do not represent scenes connected with St. Thomas life, but with the miracles performed by him posthumously.

That the figure of the saint either baptizing or blessing the figures in front of him is an archbishop is attested by his pall. Therefore it might be St. Dunston or St. Alphage, both of whom are represented in Canterbury Cathedral by a series of scenes from their lives. However, this too, seems to be an incorrect supposition, as dimensions of the Fogg Museum roundell are considerably smaller that those of the St. Dunston and St. Alphage windows which remain, or the original irons of them.

Another possibility, however, which is of even greater interest, is that the scene represents St. Augustine baptizing the English barbarians. This idea is brought about by the fact that the archbishop's face has rather negroid characteristics and the glass which goes to make in that area is of a dark brown color. One will recall of course, that St. Monia St. Augustine's mother, was of African extraction.

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