At the latest meeting of the Hampshire Antiques Society, the illustrated talk was given by Dr Sally Dormer of the Victoria and Albert Museum, on Treasures of Romanesque Europe.

The Romanesque period spanned the years 1050 to 1200. It is called Romanesque because this was the period of increased European mobility and travel, visits to foreign places, commerce and the Crusades.

Travellers brought back ideas and details of the Roman buildings and treasures that they had seen and these were copied. The building style was characterised by large heavy round solid supporting columns, and arches were rounded. This was an affluent era and not only churches were built but castles, some even showing a Moorish influence.

This was a period of bright colours and even religious figures on the facade of a church were brightly coloured. Altar furniture was beautifully crafted from precious metals; caskets were very elaborate, many with enamelled copper plaques.

Sadly, in this country most of these items were destroyed during the Reformation. Some have survived in churches on the Continent, but many are scattered around the world in museums.

This was also the time of wonderful art work in bibles. The illuminated pages are as bright today as the day they were hand painted. A good example is the Winchester Bible in the Cathedral library.