<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:dcterms="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"><dc:title xml:lang="en">host irons</dc:title><dc:identifier>http://AATesaurus.cultura.gencat.cat/aat/getty_en?tema=31375704</dc:identifier><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Getty Institute</dc:publisher><dcterms:created>2026-03-30 20:41:20</dcterms:created><dcterms:isPartOf xsi:type="dcterms:URI">http://AATesaurus.cultura.gencat.cat/aat/getty_en</dcterms:isPartOf><dcterms:isPartOf xml:lang="en">Tesaurus d&apos;Art i Arquitectura</dcterms:isPartOf><dc:format>text/html</dc:format> <dcterms:alternative xml:lang="en">host molds</dcterms:alternative> <dcterms:alternative xml:lang="en">communion bread irons</dcterms:alternative> <dcterms:alternative xml:lang="en">host iron</dcterms:alternative> <dcterms:alternative xml:lang="en">host moulds</dcterms:alternative> <dcterms:alternative xml:lang="en">host-iron</dcterms:alternative> <dcterms:alternative xml:lang="en">host-irons</dcterms:alternative> <dcterms:alternative xml:lang="en">irons, host</dcterms:alternative> <dc:description xml:lang="en"><![CDATA[ Iron instruments similar to waffle irons, composed of two palettes that come together with the aid of two handles acting as a lever; designed to create Eucharistic hosts for Christian liturgies. A Christian symbol is typically engraved in the iron bed and stamped onto the hosts. Early examples produced hosts of around one-fourth inch thickness; later examples produced wafer-like hosts. The existence of host irons is established as early as the ninth century, although the earliest surviving example dates to the twelfth century. Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century host irons have been preserved in large numbers, and are quite similar to those now in use.  ]]></dc:description></metadata>