Gilt-Bronze Group Possibly Depicting an Act of Almsgiving
England, early 12th century
Measurements
4.2 × 2.8 × 1.7 cm
Material
Fire-gilt bronze
This rare Romanesque figural group, cast in fire-gilt bronze, likely formed part of a larger liturgical object such as a portable altar, reliquary, or candlestick. The composition presents a standing figure extending a purse to a kneeling supplicant, an allegory of almsgiving that resonates with the theological and social values of charity central to medieval Christian practice. Despite surface corrosion from burial, particularly visible on the donor’s face, the group retains refined cast details, notably in the drapery folds, and preserves substantial traces of its original gilding, underscoring its once-luxurious appearance.
The work finds close parallels in Romanesque metalwork of England. Its figural treatment and iconographic resonance invite comparison with the celebrated Gloucester Candlestick (c.1107–1113, Victoria & Albert Museum, inv. M.268-1921), where densely modelled figures act out moral and allegorical themes within a functional ecclesiastical object; with the Romanesque candlestick fragment from the Robert von Hirsch Collection (Sotheby’s, London, 22 June 1978, Lot 210); and with the broader corpus of English and German candlesticks and crosiers discussed by Peter Lasko in Ars Sacra, 800–1200 (1972), which demonstrate the intimate relationship between liturgical function and densely figurative decoration.
Provenance
From the collection of Paul Moore. By repute the present group is thought to have originated from Romney Marsh, Kent.
Comparisons
Victoria and Albert Museum, London: The Gloucester Candlestick, c.1107–1113 (inv. M.268-1921), https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O114078/the-gloucester-candlestick-candlestick-unknown/
Sotheby’s, London, The Robert von Hirsch Collection, 22 June 1978, Lot 210 (Romanesque candlestick fragment).
Peter Lasko, Ars Sacra, 800–1200 (Harmondsworth, 1972), pls. 106–108: English and German Romanesque candlesticks and crosiers, including Bishop Bernward’s silver candlestick, demonstrating the close relationship between liturgical function and densely figurative decoration.
L’Art Roman au Louvre, ed. Jean-René Gaborit (Paris, 1996), pp. 119–125: for gilt-bronze figures and crucifixes of the 12th century, highlighting the integration of narrative and allegorical detail in small-scale Romanesque metalwork.
Sotheby’s, New York, Master Sculpture and Works of Art, 7 February 2025, Lot 613 (Mosan gilt bronze figure, c.1150–1160), https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/master-sculpture-works-of-art/mosan-circa-1150-1160
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