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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy heavily gilt fragment from a piece of ecclesiastical metalwork of high medieval date (1200 - 1400). The fragment consists of a single arched window which is broadly sub-rectangular in plan and irregular in cross section. The fragment is slightly bent in cross section, although this may be more due to the burial environment than deliberate design; it is probably that it was originally curved but this has been accentuated. The artefact has been cast in several pieces; however the bulk is cast in one piece. The design of the fragments consists of a frame of a window which is a Gothic style arch. It is decorated with pillars at either edge; the upper part / apex of the arch is decorated with a centrally positioned fleur-de-lis with a series of small scroll like knops descending on either side. The flanking pillars are integrally cast and like the upper point of the arch stand proud of the window opening. The pillar to the left is complete consisting of a wide base which tapers to a decorative point the upper part of which is lost through an old break, around the edges of the pillar are a series of moulded bands these are evident on the front and outer side of the pillar and not on the inner or reverse faces. A similar shaped pillar is present on the right hand edge, this is also broken but at a much lower position. It is likely that this matched the opposite design.The internal tracery of the window is damaged. The tracery is formed in two parts; some of it is integrally cast whereas the finer details have been cut from a sheet of metal which is soldered on the reverse across the window opening. The cast elements of the tracery consist of the upper parts of the arch opening. Originally this would consist of the tops of two parallel windows above which would have been a trefoil or quatrefoil shaped window or opening. It is likely that the trefoil or quatrefoil were created by the use of the metal sheet, as could possibly the central dividing frame of the window. The reverse face of the frame is keyed with deeply scratched file narks suggesting the sheet covered the entire opening. The sheet does not project to the upper part of the arch, and where the artefact has been bent in profile the soldered edge of the join between the cast areas has come apart. The only decoration present on the front face is a thick sheet of gold leaf / foil / gilt. It is not applied to the reverse.The reverse face of the fragment is relatively flat with no decoration present. The edges are stepped slightly and a grey white coloured coating is present in places. This is possibly the remains of a white metal solder. The construction element revealed on the reverse suggest that this element was applied to a much larger frame which enabled the detail of individual pieces to be relatively highly decorated and when gilt would give the impression of being cast in one piece.The fragment measures 41.8mm length, is 24.4mm wide and a maximum of 4.7mm thick. It weighs 6.97 grams.The fragment is likely to be from a much larger piece of ecclesiastical metalwork, possibly a reliquary, shrine or censer cover of high medieval date, probably 1250 - 1375 in the Gothic style. Similar shaped openings can be seen in the Ramsey Censer dated to c. 1325. It is possible that it represents an imported piece of high status metalwork, although being a bronze -gilt not of the highest status. (Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England 1200-1400, Alexander, J. and Binski, P. (eds), London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1987, no. 121, p. 240, ill. p. 241).An opinion has been sought from both the V&A as well as James Robinson (Medieval Curator) British Museum.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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