Travel or niche altar in forged iron, from the Gothic period, second half of the 14th century

Travel or niche altar in forged iron, from the Gothic period, second half of the 14th century

Travel or niche altar, intended for private devotion or small "Niche" Calvary, of trefoil shape, made of forged iron, bronze and wood from the Gothic period, dating back to the second half of the 14th century.

The typical depictions of the sacred iconography of Gothic Art present in the "Triptych" such as the crucified Christ, (garnished with a crown and perizonius in bronze by hot hammering), of Saint John the Evangelist and of the Virgin Mary, are made entirely of forged iron sculpted, engraved with a chisel and made shiny by scissors, as well as the Cross, also engraved and carved with a Fleur de Lys (Lily) motif, ending with the image of a Donkey or "Onàgro" which figures in the archaic language, it is already mentioned in the "Cambridge Bestiary" of the 13th century and even earlier in the archeotype of the medieval bestiaries "Phisiologus" in which it was attributed a demonic character, and is capable of representing it.

The "figurative triptych" was anchored on the crepidoma base (multi-step elevation) and identified as Calvary or Golgotha, which rests on a hammer-beaten bronze slab decorated with chisel with floral motifs which in turn joins to a base made of oak wood; finally three pinnacles in the shape of vases or incense burners, riveted together with the conical-shaped feet underneath, give a sense of suspension to the altar.

The unusual metal such as iron, mainly used here, plays a leading role together with the knowledge and virtuosity expressed by the Master Blacksmith or "Faber Ferrarius Dominum" who using hammer, chisel, small simple anvils and specific manual skills, made this metal a extraordinary masterpiece of sacred art.

Iron sculptures, undoubtedly less known and valued, are often particularly interesting for their absolute uniqueness: they constitute very rare masterpieces that deserve their place in an ancient or modern wunderkammer.

Religious monastic clients, eminent personalities or high noble ranks are very likely.

The stylistic reference of the sacred figures can be found in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Bologna: the whole of the Crucifix Group from the Ottonian era relegated to an Altar of the Romanesque Crypt (Cathedral).

In the main altar of the S. Pietro Cathedral in Bologna, the same wooden sculptures dating back to the 13th century.

The original state of conservation is excellent, no defects or restorations.


The extraordinary, or rather technical procedure of cold iron working as in the case of the characters present on this altar, is the so-called "prìse dans la masse" (sculpture from solid wood), typical and exclusive of the French tradition, whose characteristic is that to obtain the object from a single block without additions or welding by boiling. This process, which requires considerable expertise and technical expertise, is generally adopted to create small products such as keys, locks, door knockers, etc.

After an initial hot roughing, the block to be worked is clamped in a vice and shaped with the sole aid of chisels, hacksaws, files or stones, gravers and chisels. Once the formal definition of an object has been completed, it is still possible to modify its appearance by playing on decorative surface effects using the cold burnishing technique.

This was carried out by heating the object which, as it cooled, became dark, then rubbing its surfaces with a burnisher, a wooden tool whose tip was made up of a piece of agate, which with the sole force of friction allowed to obtain a shine effect, also delaying the onset of rust for a long period of time.

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