During the Gothic period in northern Germany, images of the Twelve Apostles were frequently included in the decoration of altarpieces, either within the structure itself or below on the predella. Although the apostles are missing their traditional attributes, the key for Saint Peter and the sword for Saint Paul, they are each identified by an inscription on the base. Eight of the original group of Twelve Apostles to which these gilt bronzes belonged survive in various collections. They are unusually large and finely cast in high relief, datable by stylistic comparison to wood sculptures to approximately the middle of the fourteenth century. It is likely that these pieces were made for an altar in Lower Saxony, a region with a long medieval history of high quality metalwork.