NOTES
The precise function for this small chest is not known. It may have been a container for the Host, the wafer that is Christ’s body, which would explain the choice of the Crucifixion scene on the front. In the turquoise circle above center, Christ sits as judge with a book in one hand, making a gesture of blessing with the other. He is surrounded by the four beasts that symbolize the Four New Testament authors; clockwise from top left: Man (Matthew); Eagle (John); Ox (Luke); and Lion (Mark). The ridge at the top has been altered by a previous owner and would have had a series of circles or key holes rather than the open scallop motif it has today.
