Dish with figures of angels

This bronze dish dates from the 13th century and was dredged up out of the River Maas near Rossum. It is known as a ‘Hanseatic’ dish. Yet these dishes have nothing to do with the Hanseatic League, the trading confederation of Northern European cities set up to protect the safety and rights of merchants from the 13th century onwards. For they are found as early as in the 11th century, before the formation of the Hanseatic League. Still, the League may have been instrumental in disseminating them. The dish displays images of angels as well as sins such as pride. Dishes of this kind were used for hand-washing.