historysquee:Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman EmperorThis crown was probably made in Western Germany
historysquee:Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman EmperorThis crown was probably made in Western Germany sometime between the 10th and 11th centuries. It may have been made by Emperor Otto I with later additions by Conrad II or solely by Conrad II or Conrad III. It was used to crown the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and was part of the regalia of the role which also included the Holy Lance and the Imperial Sword. The Imperial Crown has an unusual appearance. It is octagonal in shape and is made of eight separate plates that used to hinge on golden pins. The panels now hinge on strips of iron that have golden rivets, although it is not known when this addition was made it means that the plates can no longer be separated. The crown is made of 22 carat gold and is covered in 144 pearls and a similar number of precious stones such as emeralds, amethysts and sapphires. The crown also contains four plaques that show images from the Bible, with one showing Jesus in between two cherubs.The crown is also topped by an arch which goes from the front to the back of the crown. This arch bears the name of the Emperor Conrad II, which is spelled out in seed pearls. The front of the crown is topped with a cross, which was not originally part of the crown and is said to have been owned by Henry II before being attached to the crown. The Imperial Crown is now exhibited at the Hofburg in Vienna. Several replicas of the crown have been made and are exhibited in Aachen and Frankfurt in Germany and in a Czech castle. -- source link
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