Bidspirit auction | Late 19th Century Swiss Brienz

Late 19th Century Swiss Brienz Carved Wood Agnus Dei Butter Mold - A circular hand-carved wooden butter mold featuring high-relief decoration. The central motif is the Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God, depicted in profile with a circular nimbus and holding a vexillum flag bearing a Greek cross. The lamb stands on a textured punch-decorated ground, with two five-petaled flowers carved in the left field. The composition is enclosed within a wide carved rope-twist border. The reverse of the piece is flat and features a faded oval stamp in black ink reading MADE IN SWITZERLAND over the word Brienz. A small rectangular white adhesive label is also present on the reverse, printed with the alpha-numeric code M.E.5259. An oxidized iron screw-eye loop is mounted to the top edge. As measured against the ruler in the sixth photograph, the diameter of the mold is approximately 5.25 inches. The item shows a significant vertical crack through the wood grain on the left side of the carved face. There is notable chipping and a section of loss to the right side of the rope-twist border. The surface exhibits various minor abrasions, nicks, and small grain fissures consistent with age and functional use. The metal hanging loop displays surface oxidation.