Foedraal met drie plaatjes, twee met voorstellingen van een heilige, de ander met ornament 850 - 1000

Curator: This piece is titled “Foedraal met drie plaatjes, twee met voorstellingen van een heilige, de ander met ornament,” made sometime between 850 and 1000 by an anonymous artist. It consists of three small gold plates decorated with relief and ornamentation. Editor: They feel remarkably modern for their age, almost like raw cutouts rather than carefully planned objects. The heaviness of the gold also gives a strange gravity. Curator: The images are rich in Byzantine symbolism. The two rectangular plates each depict a saint, instantly recognizable by their halos, while the third features vegetal ornamentation in a symmetrical design, calling to mind the Tree of Life. Consider the continuity of faith these images suggest. Editor: Yes, but what about the actual *making* of them? We can almost feel the pressure of the tools used to work the gold. Think of the specialized skills, the labor invested... each strike of the tool impacting the form we see before us. It's so far removed from our mass-produced items of today. Curator: These objects were meant to be felt, touched, revered, as tangible embodiments of faith. They carried a weighty emotional significance for the believers of their time. Editor: Agreed, but also potentially signs of wealth, of commerce, perhaps even plunder. These were materials that spoke of something larger in society. Were they personal effects, liturgical objects, or pieces for trade? That changes the symbolic loading. Curator: I suppose it's that tension, that unresolved mystery, that still makes these small objects so engaging. We’re seeing a fusion of abstract faith with everyday craft. Editor: Exactly. What remains isn’t just devotional, but tangible proof of the interconnected realities between artistry, society and belief in that age.