Description

Identification note: Re-discovered in the church safe, in Bromham. Thought lost?

Summary: Half lid of a Medieval incense boat dating to c. AD 1250. Enamelled in green, blue and red, with traces of gilding. Made in Limoges, France. Found in the churchyard of St Nicholas, Bromham, dug up in 1897. This is only the second known example found in the UK. Incense boats were sacred vessels to store frankincense and myrrh, which were both used in many church rituals, including Mass. The curved dragon-headed handle on the lid is for symbolic protection of the incense. The burning in incesne was considered both an offering to God and an act of purification in medieval times. A rare and important find.