Decorative Gilt Fragment, Battle Abbey

Along with the carved ivory crozier fragment, this is one of very few pieces surviving from Battle that give a hint of the wealth and splendour of the abbey. The copper gilt plaque, found north of reredorter, is decorated with a Greek cross motif in vernis brun, and originally came from either a treasure binding on a book or a reliquary.

The reason it survived when other decorative elements were lost lies in the fact that it was reused. At some point it was detached from its original object and turned round so the decoration wasn’t showing, then was nailed as a patch to something else.