Treasure of the Basel Minster

The treasure survived the iconoclasm of the reformation, during which many religious artworks in Switzerland were destroyed, relatively unscathed, but lost its non-metallic parts, such as books and paraments.

The Federal Diet of Switzerland, which by its actions had allowed the partition to continue, decreed on November 25, 1833, that the treasure would be split, with 36% falling to Basel-City and 64% to Basel-Country.

Because the Basel-Country was greatly in need of repairing its finances after the partition, it put its part of the treasure up for auction in 1836, which thereby became scattered all over the world.

The Antependium of Basel is a golden altar frontal donated by emperor Henry II, possibly in the year 1019.

In the spandrels above, amongst dense foliage containing grapes, pomegranates, birds and mammals, the four cardinal virtues are represented.

The central one is an ancient Roman "phalera", while the gems on the arms of the cross are rock crystals covering reqliquaries.