Archaeological research was carried out in the context of the 1949-1953 reconstruction of the Echternach basilica after its destruction in 1944, during World War II. When they were found, the two richly decorated reef limestone plates covered a monk’s grave from the second half of the eighth century, and had therefore been reused.

There is no doubt that originally, the two curved and almost identical ambo plates formed the side elements of the elevated reading platform from which the Bible was read during Mass in the first abbey church at Echternach. Grooves of about 40 cm on the sides show that they were attached to other architectural elements, perhaps pillars or other plates.

The two ambo plates are richly decorated in their outer front sections with a three-ribboned interlace pattern that divides the surface into three rows of three tall smoothly finished rectangles. The sides also have three-ribboned interlace above the attachment grooves.

Colour remains on one of the two slabs, still visible to the naked eye, attest that these carved stones originally had painted ornamentation, like the illuminations of the oldest Echternach manuscripts.

The décor of this absolutely exceptional pair of artefacts thus reflects the illumination tradition of the first Echternach scriptorium.

Text | CC BY-NC | Fabienne Pietruk