Crafted circa 1414-1420, the Frauenfeld mitre is an exquisite and rare, in tact example of a late medieval mitre. The mitre is thought to have been possibly commissioned by the Abbot of Kreuzlingen, Erhard Lind, after the anti-pope John XXIII granted him the privilege of wearing pontificals. Lending support to this idea is the fact that the mitre contains images of St. Ulrich of Augsburg and St. Afra of Augsburg, both of whom were patron saints of Kreuzlingen Monastery. In fact, the mitre contains two separate depictions of each saint, once by means of the beautiful embroideries, and the second by way of the polychrome enamel work found within the titulus (the vertical band) on the front of the mitre:
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| St. Ulrich of Augsburg |
But if it was still in doubt, there's also the fact that the arms of the monastery can also be found on the mitre.
The Historical Museum of Thurgau, who now have possession of the mitre, offers the following technical comments on the physical construction of the mitre:
The basic construction of the mitre is made of cast, chased silver, which was engraved, punched, and gilded... The mitre incorporates elements from [gothic] architecture. The Gothic crabs [krabben] and the crowning finials are intended to indicate that the wearer is a high-ranking figure.Hundreds of pearls were sewn onto a linen ground for the pearl reliefs using silk and linen threads. The pearl embroidery was repeatedly restored – a sign of its continued use and the great importance of the mitre to the monastery.The "gems" are all additions from the 19th or 20th century; almost all have been replaced with glass stones. It's possible that the original stones from the Kreuzlingen Monastery were converted into funds in times of financial hardship.
This particular mitre exudes some of the very best of the best as far as gothic mitres are concerned, both in terms of the quality of the design and also the quality of the materials.
Design wise, it's echoing of gothic architectural elements and motifs make it stand out in particular. The circulus (i.e. the ornamental, vertical band that goes up the middle of the mitre) as well as the lappets (the stole-like pieces that hang from the back) and rear titulus all feature beautiful acanthus leaf designs of metal -- a design element that has been with us since Roman times.
The most impressive aspect of the deisgn mitre, however, is surely the four saints that have been worked in raised relief embroideries (frequently termed 'stumpwork') and covered in beautiful beads. As mentioned before, two of these figures depict Saints Ulrich and Afra of Augsburg and they are prominently found on the front of the mitre.
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| Left: St. Ulrich - Right: St. Afra |
The back of the mitre contains two further figures on the rear side -- which is impressive in its own right as typically the reverse side of mitres, while still ornamented, are given a much simpler treat than the front-facing side, since mitres are primarily meant to be seen from the front. The figures in question are depictions of St. Margaret and St. Mark.
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| Left: St. Margaret - Right: St. Mark |
(Photos copyright Historisches Museum Thurgau)
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