Ancient Antiquity Crusader Jerusalem Knight Templar 1100AD Three Crosses Mount For Sale

Ancient Crusader Cast/Punched Bronze Reliquary or Devotional Box Applique Plaque with Three Cross Medallions (Approx. 26mm — c. 12th–13th Century AD)

Authenticity & Guarantee

• Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Crusader Holy Land / Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem Sphere.

Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions

• Object: Punched / Stamped Bronze Applique Plaque / Reliquary Casket Fitting / Book Binding Mount

• Culture / Period: Crusader Era (Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem / Frankish Levant)

• Date Range: Circa 12th Century AD – 13th Century AD (c. 1100 – 1291 AD)

• Exact Dimensions: 26 mm height × 22 mm width

• Material: Hammered / Cast Bronze Sheet (Copper Alloy)

• Form & Architecture: Rectangular sheet metal plaque featuring three vertically aligned circular medallions, each enclosing a crisp cross (Cross Pattée / Greek Cross within a haloed border); flanked by vertical rows of punched ring-and-dot (circuli punctati) borders and a stippled background field; top margin features a bent/folded mounting lip designed to clamp over the edge of a wooden reliquary box, leather sheath, or manuscript binding

• Condition: Exceptional, 100% complete ancient condition. Complete structural plaque frame, crisp triple-cross iconography preserved under an authentic golden-olive bronze patina with light sandy-tan earthen burial encrustations. Free of modern restoration or tooling.

Crusader Sacred Art & Reliquary Mounts

During the High Middle Ages (c. 1100–1291 AD), Frankish workshop foundries operating in Jerusalem, Acre, and Antioch produced devotional fittings for pilgrims, military orders (Knights Templar and Hospitaller), and churches. Small decorative plaques (appliqués) decorated with holy symbols were mounted onto wooden reliquary caskets, Gospel manuscript covers, or leather pouches containing sacred soil or relics brought back from Golgotha and the Holy Sepulchre.

Triple Cross Symbolism & Punch-Work Mechanics

The depiction of three vertically stacked cross medallions directly evokes the Three Crosses of Calvary (Golgotha) as well as the Holy Trinity. The perimeter decoration utilizes classic Frankish metalworking techniques—punching repeating ring-and-dot patterns (circuli punctati) and stippling into the thin copper alloy sheet to catch the light when illuminated by candlelight inside medieval chapels.

Typological Analysis & Exact Classification

• Primary Class: Crusader Sacred Metalwork / Devotional Box Applique

• Sub-Class: Triple-Cross Medallion Stamped Plaque Class with Folded Lip

Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers

• Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Crusader period stamped bronze plaques and reliquary mounts recovered from Jerusalem and Acre strata.

• Louvre Museum (Inv. No. OA 4022): 12th–13th century Frankish Levantine bronze applique with cross medallions.

• British Museum (Accession No. 1888,0512.85): Crusader period Holy Land bronze stamped devotional fitting.