Plaque: The Crucifixion with Angels and Saints, c. 1400-1425. Northern Italy, Padua, 15th century. Verre églomisé (reverse gilded glass, engraved and painted); overall: 19.4 x 9.4 x 0.4 cm (7 5/8 x 3 11/16 x 3/16 in.). Small glass plaques like this were often combined with plaques of painted wood and framed within elaborate architectural reliquaries or small altarpieces. The decorative technique, called verre églomisé, is a process in which the reverse side of a glass is gilded and then engraved with designs. The pelican, shown above the cross piercing its breast to feed its young, became a common symbol of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.