English, second half 15th century

Excavated in 2007 in Ashridge/ Berkhamsted Castle area, Hertfordshire
Portable Antiquities Scheme tracking number 2007T224

True to the nature of the soft metal and the plaquette being in the ground the object is slightly distorted and worn throughout. There are several bends, nicks and scratches, particularly around the edges. The back displays several nicks where there has been pressure on the metal. A larger scratch runs from the middle of the left side upwards. The main bending points are just right of the centre on the top edge, just below the centre of the right edge and in the centre of the lower edge. Part of the niello is lost but some of it still clearly picks out the borders. A trace of enamel is visible on the Lord's crown.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present gold mount was discovered in the countryside near Ashridge and Berkhamsted Castle, Hertfordshire in 2007. The area contains several medieval parish churches, a nunnery and the site of Ashridge Priory, the medieval abbey of the Bonhommes. The latter boasted a number of relics including a phial with the blood of Christ, which obviously attracted large numbers of European pilgrims. In 1469 King Edward IV granted Berkhamsted Castle and the surrounding land to his mother Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. With the devout Cecily as the castle's inhabitant the area became both of religious and diplomatic importance, undoubtedly attracting important clerics. During the duchess' tenure at Berhamsted several battles of the War of the Roses took place in the vicinity. An influx of knights, and possible plundering after battle, could also have led to the deposit of such a precious gold object.

Several engraved gold items from the late Middle Ages were unearthed in the United Kingdom in the past decades. The elaborate engraving on Winteringham tau cross sold in these rooms on 5 July 1990 and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York also includes a Throne of Mercy and therefore it could be suggested that the present mount served as part of a pendant. However, given that it was found in isolation, and that the style of the engraving differs, the mount may have been part of a completely different type of object made from a more ephemeral material. The 2007 Treasure Report that accompanies the mount mentions that it could have been part of a book cover; a cross or wooden vessel are further possibilities.

The mount is engraved with a representation of the Holy Trinity known as the Throne of Mercy, in which the God the Father sits on his throne and presents his crucified son to the viewer while a dove hovers just above it. The type ultimately derives from Bible passages such as Exodus 25:17-22 which describe God's Throne of Grace or Mercy Seat. These texts explain how faith in a single God can be harmonised with both the presence of Christ and the presence of God among people. As this was still a pertinent message to Christians in late medieval Europe, the Throne of Mercy often featured in devotional imagery. A print with the same subject from the first half of the 15^th century in the Kreisheimatmuseum Gifhorn-Nord, Germany (inv. no. B 11 504/1) has such a similar architecture of the seat and background in place that it seems plausible that the present plaque was based on a woodcut which was in circulation in England in the 15^th century. The two flowers or knops in the background above God's head are also repeated elsewhere, see for example a French Gothic ivory diptych with the Trinity in the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Cologne (inv. no. RBA 85 203).

RELATED LITERATURE
T. Husband, 'The Winteringham Tau Cross and Ignis Sacer', Metropolitan Museum Journal, 27, 1992, pp. 19-35; P. Barnet and N. Wu, The Cloisters: Medieval Art and Architecture, New York, 2005, no. 100, p. 139