Hello! I found this piece of gilt bronze, slipping around in an old oval frame, at an estate sale. I bought it cheap and when I got home I removed it from the frame and rinsed it off, (it was much dirtier, on the face, than it is now). I was astonished at the intricacy of the work and have determined to try and figure out where it came from and when the plaque was made.

The plaque is a multi-level, gilt bronze rendering of what appears to be a medieval scene of nobles on the hunt. The scene features women riding side saddle, one holding a falcon, a king, other hunters, attendants and a bunch of dogs. There are castles in the background, in varying reliefs and birds overhead. The scene is bracketed by haut relief trees on either side and a boulder, in the front, on which a name appears to be engraved, (I can't make out the engraving). The funny thing is that the focal point of the piece is down, in front, just above the boulder; there's a man in haut relief, standing in front of a brace of dogs, holding up a horn.

Anyhow, the piece is about 8" x 6 1/2" and, at its highest point, rises nearly 1/2" off the base. As can be seen, looking at the edges, the plaque looks as if it were cut out of a larger piece.

Can anyone help? Is this a period piece? is there a name for this type of high relief scene? Any help would be appreciated!