Copper-alloy, 42.35 grams, 27.56 mm height, 28.58 ext.dia. 12th-14th century AD. A cast ferrule for a staff or crozier, formed as a flat plate curved around the end of the staff, which terminated in a substantial copper-alloy domed stud (now held within the cup of the finial). The decoration comprises an arcade of 'gothic' pointed arches, each enclosing a stylized plant with flower and side-leaves. Between the arches are trefoil motifs. Along the outer borders are heavy ribs enclosing a billeted panel; the lower edge curves beneath the staff to trap the stud. Although cast in the flat, the design is not interrupted at the overlapped joint. The 'gothic' style of design originated in France in the middle of the 12th century, originally applied to ecclesiastical statuary and architecture (where the 'gothic' name was meant to imply 'barbarism' and a break with the previous 'Romanesque' style). Reference: cf. Wilson, C. The Gothic Cathedral: The Architecture of the Great Church 1130-1530, London, 1992. Very fine condition. Provenance: found Dunnington, Yorkshire, England.