Bronze Templar from a French inheritance. The Order of the Templars, or the Knights Templar, was a Christian order of crusaders who, at the time of the crusades, as a small part of the crusading armies, fought a Holy War against Muslims in the Holy Land. Around 1118, the fellowship took the classic monastic oath of poverty, chastity and obedience. Subsequently, the order was officially acknowledged by the Catholic Church in 1129 and they stayed around for nearly 200 years. King Baldwin II of Jerusalem recognised the importance of such a group of religious knights and put a palace at their disposal, which stood on the Temple Mount. This was one of the many gifts that the Templars, as an order, received in the 200 years that followed. The Templars eventually became so powerful and rich that the French king Philip did everything to get rid of them. The fellowship originally entailed a small group of knights who aimed to protect the pilgrims in Palestine. During their travels through the Holy Land, between cities that were protected by crusaders, the pilgrims often became a victim of robberies performed by foreigners who inhabited the countryside. The bronze has a beautiful patina. Dimensions: 28 cm in height and 9 cm in width. Weight: 1500 grams. This lot will be carefully packaged, and shipped by registered and insured mail (with Track & Trace code). Pick up is also possible of course.