An interdisciplinary project to study 11th-12th century bronze doors in Europe.
The project “Gates to Paradise: Creating metal doors for 11th-12th century churches” will non-destructively study the 28 bronze doors still preserved in Europe today, which represent the only surviving complex of large medieval bronzes in Europe. For the first time, the doors will be fully documented by high-resolution photography, their chemical composition will be determined by non-invasive XRF analysis, and the type and dating of the wood of the support will be determined for selected doors. This will provide information about the materials and techniques used, how and which craftsmen, artists and patrons were involved in the production process, and how the materials used and the pictorial representations on the doors together create meaning.