2-737-951 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Plaque: The Crucifixion with Angels and Saints, c. 1400-1425. Small glass plaques like this were often combined with plaques of painted wood and framed within elaborate architectural reliquaries or small altarpieces. The decorative technique, called verre églomisé, is a process in which the reverse side of a glass is gilded and then engraved with designs. The pelican, shown above the cross piercing its breast to feed its young, became a common symbol of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.