(European, 11th century style)

The Ascension, a fragment cast in the mid to late 19th century from an original 11th century relief, incised on bottom edge with number "58182", pencil inscriptions verso, 5 x 3-1/2 x 3/4 in.

Note: Collections of plaster casts were prominent in museums and especially in the mid to late 19th century. Rooms were specifically set up for these casts. In 1867, a cast exchange was established after the Convention for Promoting Universally Reproductions of Works of Art for the Benefit of Museums of All Countries. These plaster casts represented high artistry in the craft of mold making, casting, and finishing. It made available study collections of rare and important objects, especially from antiquities and early periods of sculpture, architecture, and decorative objects.

For and important cast collection see the Victoria and Albert Museum at https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/cast-collection

surface wear, repaired chip lower right corner, other small chips