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Plaque with Marking of the Door with the Letter Tau

ca. 1200
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 304
The image here had its origin in the Passover, when Moses ordered the elders of Israel to mark the houses of the Israelites with the blood of a slain lamb to protect their households. For Christians, the tau came to be seen as an emblem of God's protection. In the enamel, the mark is placed on a building resembling a medieval church, with a prominent cross on the roof.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Plaque with Marking of the Door with the Letter Tau
  • Date: ca. 1200
  • Culture: German
  • Medium: Champlevé enamel, copper alloy, gilt
  • Dimensions: Overall: 2 9/16 x 2 15/16 x 3/16 in. (6.5 x 7.5 x 0.4 cm)
  • Classification: Enamels-Champlevé
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.190.438
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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Plaque with the Baptism of Jesus, Champlevé enamel, copper alloy, gilt, South Netherlandish
Plaque with the Baptism of Jesus
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ca. 1150–75
Appliqué Figure of the Apostle James, Copper alloy, cast and gilt, North German
Appliqué Figure of the Apostle James
North German
ca. 1350
Appliqué Figure of the Apostle Philip, Copper alloy, cast and gilt, North German
Appliqué Figure of the Apostle Philip
North German
ca. 1350
Tabernacle of Cherves, Copper (plaques): engraved, scraped, stippled, and gilt; (appliqués): repoussé, chased, engraved, scraped, and gilt; champlevé enamel: medium blue, turquoise, medium green, yellow, red, and white, modern wood mount, French
Tabernacle of Cherves
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ca. 1220–1230
Shrine of the Virgin, Oak, linen covering, polychromy, gilding, gesso, German
Shrine of the Virgin
German
ca. 1300

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