Altar Brasses.
Most of the church plate so-called was of pewter and silver in early times; in more modern days of silver, and sometimes of metal plated with silver. There are, however, examples of metal chalices of bronze, some of which have been found in Ireland. The altar brasses in pre-Reformation days included brass censers and incense vessels, very interesting examples of which are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, being illustrated in Fig. 21. Of vases and other decorative altar brasses there are many. Some, probably, took their origin in older customs and were symbolical; the vases nowadays are for the most part used as receptacles for flowers.
FIG. 20.—VENETIAN CANDELABRUM (ONE OF A PAIR).
Bordering on the secular vessels, yet associated with the altar, there are the alms-dishes, of which there are a great number in private collections of metal. They are mostly of brass, some quite plain, others engraved and highly ornamental. Some little time ago there was a special display of alms-dishes, two-score or more in number, exhibited at the Kelvingrove Exhibition at Glasgow. Some were covered over with scriptural pictorial designs, among the favourite being those illustrating the old story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; the episode of Samson and the lion; and the visit of the two spies to the Promised Land, returning carrying a large bunch of grapes. Such alms-dishes vary in size, seldom less than 12 in. in diameter, but ranging up to 20 in. Sometimes the collector is puzzled to find what he may regard as inappropriate mottoes on church vessels. On the other hand, it is not an uncommon thing to meet with religious devices or pious mottoes on platters and bowls which were obviously used as domestic vessels. This fact is explained in that at one time there was but little difference between secular and ecclesiastical plate, and the vessels were often used indiscriminately for church purposes and for the use of the household.