St Madoes cross-slab
Last updated | 14/09/2010
This magnificent piece of early medieval
sculpture, the Pictish St Madoes cross-slab, dates to the eighth
century AD. Its imagery powerfully symbolises the authority of the
Christian church. The whole is dominated by the ring-headed cross
that fills what we can accept as the front of the slab. It is
surrounded by biting dogs and with two lion-like creatures facing
each other across the top of the stone.
The back of the slab shows three cloaked and
hooded riders, probably churchmen (possibly a reference to the road
and its users between St Andrews and Scone) and below them three
Pictish symbols: a crescent and v-rod, a double-disc and z-rod and
a Pictish beast. The symbols are much worn due to exposure to the
elements when it stood in St Madoes churchyard. In 1991 the stone
was conserved and moved to Perth Museum & Art
Gallery.
