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Cover of a Censer

mid-12th century
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 14
The artist who produced this censer proudly inscribed his name, "Godefridus," over one of the arches. The censer bears witness to the technical, artistic, and symbolic sophistication lavished on objects, regardless of size, produced for the service of the medieval church. The architectural form may symbolize the heavenly city of Jerusalem, while the lunettes circling the base depict Old Testament events thought to foretell Christ's sacrifice. Such complicated imagery was standard in art produced in the Valley of the Meuse, an area now part of modern Belgium, in the 12th century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cover of a Censer
  • Artist: Godefridus
  • Date: mid-12th century
  • Geography: Made in Meuse valley
  • Culture: South Netherlandish
  • Medium: Copper alloy, cast, engraved, chased, punched, and gilded
  • Dimensions: Overall: 4 1/8 x 4 1/8 in. (10.5 x 10.5 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Copper alloy
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1979
  • Object Number: 1979.285
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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