After several visits to the Treasury of the Paulusdom in Münster The desire matured in me to recreate the most important object from this Cathedral Treasury Museum - a medieval reliquary cross - as a private replica.
This so-called “parousia cross” is certainly one of the finest creations of the goldsmith workshops of the 11th century.
The front in the form of a Latin cross is richly decorated with pearls, precious stones and filigree in the sign of Christ's return for the Last Judgment ("Light Cross").
On the engraved back of the cross is a symbolic representation of the Easter Mystery. The image of the “Christus crucifixus vigilans” is richly surrounded by other symbolic signs (the hand of God, alpha and omega for beginning and end, the so-called cup of the new covenant, the homage to heaven, to the left Sol – the sun and to the right Luna - the moon).
When making the cross, a conscious attempt was made to capture something of the incomparable flair and special aura of the antique originals from the Middle Ages, ie the pure gilding was subsequently patinated all around - i.e. artificially aged, dents and other small signs of wear were intentionally added as well as the quality the setting of gemstones and pearls as well as the filigree was largely based on the condition of comparable museum pieces from this period.
In 1200, after around 2010 hours of work, a copy of the Parousia cross from Münster, almost true to the original, was created with 24 ct (carat) real gold plating all around, 50 cultured pearls, 9 rock crystals, 2 amethysts, a tourmaline, a faceted carnelian and an engraved agate.
In the center of the cross is a small rock crystal pyramid on a pearl wire filigree setting. All blue stones are hand-cut and colored rock crystals.
The base consists of a hand-cut rock crystal in the style of a medieval one fatimid bottles. Like all the other gemstones of the cross, he made it Gem cutter Harald Heinrich from Overath.
In my opinion, the enormous effort was definitely worth it. For me, the reliquary cross of St. Paul's Cathedral in Münster has a particularly harmonious aura.
