Boat-shaped pulpits in Poland. And iconographic-iconologic study Cover Image

Ambony łodziowe w Polsce. Studium ikonograficzno-ikonologiczne
Boat-shaped pulpits in Poland. And iconographic-iconologic study

Author(s): Katarzyna Kawa
Subject(s): History of Church(es)
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: pulpit in the shape of a boat; boat-shaped pulpits; ship of church; ambony w kształcie łodzi; okręt-Kościół; symbole biblijne

Summary/Abstract: Boat-shaped pulpits were created in the eighteenth and nineteenth century and they are one of the recent implementations of the Ship of Church theme in art. Boat-shaped pulpits occur in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and in Poland, where there are most examples of such objects. The present article’s aim is to characterize the pulpit in the shape of a boat on the basis of iconographical and iconological analysis, to explain the main ideas and content that accompanied their creators and designers. In earlier literature exhaustive interpretation of the boat-shaped pulpit did not appear. The author has attempted a comprehensive view of their symbolism. It was found that the concept of the first Polish boat-shaped pulpit refers to a passage from the Gospel according to Saint Luke, which speaks of Christ’s teaching from the boat (Luke 5:3). So the preacher preaching from the pulpit symbolizes Christ’s teaching, but also the teaching of whole Church. Boat-shaped pulpits also symbolize the Church, which fishes out with the net of the Word of God, the souls of men from dangerous depths of the sea. The symbolism of the pulpits also stressed the primacy of the papacy.

  • Issue Year: 60/2012
  • Issue No: 04
  • Page Range: 287-324
  • Page Count: 38
  • Language: Polish