The Pontifical of Renaud de Bar

Blessing of an Abbess of Nuns

Texts and Images

Three miniatures showing a bishop ordaining an abbess and giving her a book containing the rule for her religious house illustrate this part of the manuscript. In all three miniatures, the crosier entrusted to the abbess is rendered in silver, rather than gold, which was used for the abbot’s crosier and the bishop’s own pastoral staff.