Secular objects from the Middle Ages, especially those owned by the nobility, attest to the medieval craftsman’s practice of decorating even the most utilitarian objects with precision and skill. Like religious items, secular objects are often replete with variously interpreted symbolic figures. Most depict celebrations of the patron or his family, a family’s lineage or crest, or a moral. Patrons desired highly ornamented works of artisanship made of rare and costly materials in order to demonstrate their wealth and power.