I'm lucky enough that my job takes me around most of europe, usually with enough time to visit a museum or two. I was recently in the Danish National Museum, came across their collection of medieval "Golden altars" and thought other people on this board might be interested, as I haven't seen these documented elsewhere.

These are large altars and altarpieces, completedly clad in embossed, gilded copper or bronze plates. The effect is fairly spectacular, and they seem to become quite popular in Denmark around 1200 - the museum has five, and apparently there are two more still in situ plus documentary references to several more.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my digital camera, but will try to take it along next time I visit.

They also have a church bell from the same period, with a (dodgily spelt) latin inscription, picked out in runes - nice mix of influences!

Finally, I also come across their definition of the Middle Ages - "From the conversion to Christianiyty in the late Viking period to the fall of the catholic church in the early sixteenth century". Well, it's more intellectually coherent than most, and I love the phrasing - very Danish!

It'll be a while before I get out to Copenhagen again, but when I do, I'll make a point of taking a digital camera. My only concern is that while this will give a good overall impression, it won't be able to capture the details of the embossing.

The altars are constructed out of a number of gilded "plaques" with embossed designs (people, buildings & animals), with borders of geometric designs and interlace between the plaques.

Most of them have publical themes for the series of plaques (eg the life of christ), but in "contemporary" dress. You are looking at upward of 60 plaques on some of the altars. Human figures are on average 2-3 ins high, and include some in armour (long mailcoats, plus norman helms, some of which have evolved faceguards of greater or lesser elaboration.

As they also include the altarpiece behind the altar, they are quite large units, and are pretty damn impressive visually now, let alone then.