13th C. Gilt Mount

Description

13th Century Gilt Mount Depicting the Manus Dei Motif

This solid 13th century copper-alloy gilt mount consists of a slightly tapering rectangular plate wth an ornate loop at the top edge. It is slightly incomplete in that there is an old break at the lower edge, which has now worn smooth. The rounded terminal has a moulding depicting a ribbon and below the fixing hole, there is a cast motif depicting an open hand emerging from a cloud. This looks like the Manus Dei motif “Hand of God” and the mount is likely to have been part of a liturgical object, possibly part of a cross. The gilt covering on the front surface mostly survives, whereas the back face has lost most of its covering.

The mount measures 33 mm in length and 16 mm in width and is in very good condition retaining 90% of its gilt on the front.