illatjastn* " ^ai>\t "^Witlitt at ?^opton f^aU. 



By Mrs. Meade Waldo. 



HE tablet of which we here give an illustration is 

 the property of Captain Chandos-Pole-Gell, at 

 Hopton Hall. These " table " reliefs are of much 

 interest, being examples of an art, or industry, 

 which, originating at Chellaston, in the alabaster country, was 

 once widely known. In fact, we may safely say that all the 

 carved alabaster work dating from the fifteenth century, which 

 is found in churches and cathedrals all over this country, as 

 well as in France, came from Chellaston. Several of these 

 tablets are in the British Museum. The Hopton example is 

 not one of the earliest class — and has the peculiarity, among 

 others, of a battlemented canopy. The figure of the Saviour 

 has the hand in blessing at arms-length, and the left hand holds 

 a Resurrection banner. The position of the right hand raised 

 in blessing, however, varies, and in some of the examples is 

 held close to the body ; and in the British Museum Resurrection 

 tablet the banner is omitted. The Hopton tablet also shews 

 the remains of a gilt background, diapered all over with round 

 white spots. This is also seen in two examples in the British 

 Museum. The subject of one of these is the Annunciation ; 

 that of the other, the Destruction of Sodom. 



Mr. St. John Hope, in Archaologia, vol. Hi., p. 698, states 

 that these tablets were carved at Chellaston, circa 1494, and 

 were much used for monuments in various parts of England ; 

 and were also exported to France. All the tablets referred to 

 by him have the head of St. John Baptist as the primary subject. 

 The figure of Christ, rising from the tomb, is introduced as a 

 secondary group, smaller, and below the Baptist's head. 



