Plaque with a Bishop
Nicholas of Verdun
1180/1200
Medium
Gilt copper, champlevé enamel
Dimensions
15.2 × 5.6 cm (6 × 2 3/16 in.)
Classification
european decorative arts
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
46308
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This plaque—the finest example of medieval enameling in the Art Institute’s collection—most likely formed the right half of an arch on a reliquary shrine. The bishop represented here holds a model of a church that he has had constructed in his covered right hand, symbolizing the sacred nature of this gift to God. Due to its refined style, scholars have drawn comparisons between this plaque and those of the famous Klosterneuburg retable, which was produced by the artist Nicholas of Verdun in 1181...