MEDIEVAL PROCESSIONAL CROSS

1400

A burnished brass terminal from a 15th or 16th century processional cross.The terminal has a circular body 5.97mm thick at the outer edges, which are the thickest part while the majority of the body is thinner. In section, the body is I shaped. An outer border of 10mm width separates the distinguishes the centre, which is unburnished and covered with a thin leaded copper alloy layer, now grey in colour. This matte background served to further contrast the burnished central mount of a winged bull - the symbol of St. Luke.The mount consists of an openwork right-facing winged bull sitting on its back haunches with its forward left leg raised. A scroll/banner is behind the bull, forming an L in relation to the bull. The bull's left horn (the horn on the right from the viewer's perspective) has broken off. The mount is attached with a cylindrical shank that runs through the centre of the terminal.The back face of the terminal has the same border, with the centre decorated as a four-petalled flower with simple etching providing the detail.The outer edges of the terminal are decorated with three identical extensions consisting of a cross with a trefoil at the end. The lower lobes of the side trefoils attach to the body of the terminal. The three extensions are placed regularly around the terminal (every 60 degrees). There are also two simple trefoils extending between the larger extensions. All are cast integrally with the terminal.A break reveals where the termainal was attached to the processional cross, indicating that the terminal was on the end of the left arm of the cross (from the viewer's perspective).