Antique Late Gothic 16th century Nuremberg Brass Alms Dish Rare Pattern Virgin Mary Queen Of Heaven with Christ The Child

South German Nuremberg hand-hammered brass alms dish, late Gothic, early 16th century, circa 1500-1530 AD, with a rare pattern stamped in relief.

The artwork portrays the Blessed Virgin Mary standing with Christ the Child. She is depicted as the Queen of Heaven, standing upon the crescent moon and surrounded by a mandorla of sun rays. She is dressed in elaborate garments and wears a crown. She holds a long ornate scepter in her left hand, while on her right arm, she cradles Baby Jesus, who has an orb in His right hand. The orb is a symbol of Christ as the Savior of the World (Salvator Mundi in Latin).

Nuremberg brass vessels were exported to Great Britain and sometimes used as alms dishes. Their primary function was secular, even though their iconography was mainly religious. European paintings of home interiors revealed that they were frequently used as decorative dishes standing on shelves and could also serve as reflectors for the candles in front of them.

REFERENCES: "Nuremberg Alms Dishes" by Klaus Tiedemann.

Two similar examples of Alms Dishes that feature Mary holding the Child on the crescent moon. These dishes date back to the early 16th century and are currently in the collection of one of the most prominent museums in the world, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Please see the links below:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/467569

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/467562

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/467551

NOTE: Most brass alms dishes available today are Dutch or English imitations and counterfeits from the 19th and 20th centuries.

The last two photos in the listing show images of Nuremberg artisans creating brass alm dishes illustrated in 15th- 16th-century books.

MEASUREMENTS:

Diameter: 36 cm (14.17 inches)

Height: 4.3 cm (1.69 inch)

Weight: 1.040 kg (2.29 lbs.)

CONDITION: Showing signs of age and use, slightly damaged; two punched holes on the rim are added later to hang the dish on the wall.

All this is an aspect of a used antique brass dish that is 500 years old.

Please note that the pictures in the listing are part of the description of the object's condition.