Form, iconography and style all indicate that this forceful work of art combines Cretan and Italian artistic traditions. The base perimeter alludes to late-Gothic prototypes, while the multifaceted, church-like stem knop and the acanthus leaves are directly borrowed from Renaissance art. The same is true of the choice of iconography by the goldsmith, which in this case stresses the sense of gratitude that this item expresses, and the fact that it was intended for Sinai; around the base we find Apostle busts and the symbols of the Evangelists, and on the knop the Man of Sorrows scene surrounded by angels, as well as the Mother of God flanked by Moses and Saint Catherine.
