Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/437

ON THE BRONZE DOORS OF THE CATHEDHAL OF (IXESEN. 311 l)ortions of the metals entering into its composition, and consequently the appearance of the compound are greatly changed.^ It is, therefore, quite possible that botli valves may have been cast from the same furnace and ^vithin some liours of each other, although the colour and texture of the metal now show considerable difference. The different degree of relief seems a more important distinction — on the left valve some parts of the figures, parti- cularly the heads,^ are in three-quarters relief, and many in half, while on the right one all is in flat relief, usually not more, if as much as quarter relief, though the lieads occasionally, and sometimes a whole figure, show greater prominence. If this circumstance leads to the supposition of different dates for each valve, it must, on the other hand, be remembered that the style and character both of the groups of figures and of the ornamental border are precisely similar. Mr. Bcrndt quotes Dlugosz to show that tlie Bohemians carried off " tabulam auream," which he supposes may have been the left valve, then of bright gold-coloured metal ; but, had he read the passage with any care, he would have seen that the historian speaks of " tabulas tres quibus altare magnum adornatum fuerat auro puro et variis preciosis lapidibus et gemmis superbas," obviously works of the same nature as the golden altar-piece of the Cathedral of Basle, or perhaps as the paliotto of the high altar of the Church of St. Ambrose at Milan. His opinion that the left valve is the work of an Italian artist of the fifteenth century seems to be entirely unsupported either by the general character of the work, or by any of the details of costume or architecture, and cannot be received with favour by any one familiar with the character of Italian sculpture of that period. It would, therefore, seem that little light, as to the origin of these doors, can be obtained from external evidence, and that their date must be deduced from the internal evidence afforded by the works themselves, and from a comparison with other works of art of the like nature. This may perhaps 5 In consequence of want of care during « In the reliefs which cover the bronze the fusion, the capital, shaft, and base of doors of the Cathedral of Hildesheira the colunni of the Place Vendonie, (dated 1 01.)). tl'e tads and necks of the although cast from the (orij,'inally) same figures stand out in full relief, quite free metal, arc now very different in coinposi- and detached from the background, tion. See lire's "Diet. Arts," Art. Bronze.