Touching as Knowing: Textiles and Revelation in a Medingen Psalter

This project explores the presence of textile curtains in a psalter (Chapin Codex Mss 008) made in the Medingen Abbey of the Luneburg Heath at the end of the 15th century. The project investigates how the tactile engagement with the textile curtains cultivated a somatic and embodied experience of the biblical scenes pictured. This project analyzes the Annunciation and Crucifixion scenes in depth to look at the significance of textiles themselves and the significance of these scenes to the monastic women. This paper looks at the significance of textiles in supporting the veneration of Christ and the Virgin Mary, respectively, to understand the ritual function of this material in the devotional practices at the Medingen convent. I argue that the textile curtains fashion a multifaceted devotional program that incorporated the handling of textiles in the scriptures and in the nuns’ own routines to understand the divinity of Christ through the embodied experience of the women of Medingen.

Williams College, Chapin Library, Chapin Codex Mss 008

This project was completed in as an original research paper in partial fulfillment of the Williams College Art History major. The research in this paper was presented at the Williams College thesis colloquium (2023) and at the International Medieval Congress (2024).

Video presentations of this research are available upon request.