It is an outstanding example of medieval goldsmith's work, and " an important monument of imperial ideology ", forming part of the Aachen Cathedral Treasury, which includes several other masterpieces of sacral Ottonian art.
12.
Much Ottonian art reflected the dynasty's desire to establish visually a link to the Christian rulers of Late Antiquity, such as Constantine, Theoderich, and Justinian as well as to their Carolingian predecessors, particularly Charlemagne.
13.
Although tending to be neglected relative to Italian and French contributions from the point of view of the Anglosphere, German art has played a crucial role in the development of Western art, especially Celtic art, Carolingian art and Ottonian art.
14.
Surviving Ottonian art is very largely religious, in the form of illuminated manuscripts and metalwork, and was produced in a small number of centres for a narrow range of patrons in the circle of the Imperial court, as well as important figures in the church.
15.
The energy, love of complicated twining ornament, and refusal to wholly respect a dignified classical decorum that are displayed in both Insular and Winchester school art had already influenced continental style, as discussed above, where it provided an alternative to the heavy monumentality that Ottonian art displays even in small objects.
16.
The style of the " Liuthar group ", unlike other schools in Ottonian art, departs further from rather than returning to classical traditions; it " carried transcendentalism to an extreme ", with " marked schematization of the forms and colours ", " flattened form, conceptualized draperies and expansive gesture ".
17.
After the collapse of the dynasty there was a hiatus before a new dynasty brought a revival in Germany with Ottonian art, again centred on the court and monasteries, with art that moved towards great expressiveness through simple forms that achieve monumentality even in small works like ivory reliefs and Mozarabic art of Christian Spain had strong Islamic influence, and a complete lack of interest in realism in its brilliantly coloured miniatures, where figures are presented as entirely flat patterns.
