Temple crown
A bow crown , also known as a clasp crown , is a special form of crown for male rulers, which can be seen more frequently as a Carolingian emblem from the middle of the 9th century.
In order to be able to elevate the crown with a cross, the Christian Emperor Justinian I (Justinian the Great, 482-565) had straps spanning his crown attached as a holder for the cross, creating the prototype of the bow or clasp crown. King Henry IV of England (1366–1413) was crowned with a bow crown in 1399. Christian IV (1577–1648), King of Denmark and Norway, replaced the old royal crown with a closed bow crown.
The bow crown was initially a four-pointed leaf crown with pearls between the crown prongs. Later the pearls were replaced by small crosses. The browband was simple and decorated with a few precious stones. In heraldry , the crown is used as a coat of arms figure in the shield.
A well-known temple crown is the imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire.
literature
- PW Hartmann: The great art dictionary
- Percy Ernst Schramm : The temple crown. A Carolingian symbol of rule. In: Festschrift for Karl Gottfried Hugelmann for his 80th birthday on September 26, 1959. Given by friends, colleagues and students. Volume 2. Scientia-Verlag, Aalen 1959, pp. 561-578.