I came in on this rather late, but it seems to me
that this must refer to a reliquary of a piece of the true cross with two
bejewelled and gilded or gold images eg a double-sided cross with
gold/gilded reliefs of the crucixfion with gem insets or something similar-
there are plenty of double-sided crosses of this sort from the period
(examples, I'm pretty sure in the V&A London, Nat. Gall Canada, and Met.
NY - some of which would also have been
reliquaries..
Yes, my original thought was that it might be a reliquary for a piece of
the cross, but the language doesn't appear (to me, a non-Latinist) to go that
far. "Lignum dominicum cum duabus tabulis aureis et gemmates (gemmatis,
correctly)" seems to just say "wooden cross". An interesting
discussion.
Do you have a fuller context for 'bufuta'?
The text reads: "Stole sunt x. Manipuli viij. P..... sunt vj. Bufuta.
ij. Pulvilli palliati ij. etc." This is why I'm thinking "P" might
be that Greek Orthodox word for "belt" while "bufuta", which has leather
references, could be shoes or buskins: the list naturally flows that way.
The shekel might have come in useful as a stage
property if there was a dramatization of the circumcision and purification
peformed in the church (it would have been used in the oblation and redemption
of the first-born)
Laura, I was thinking along those lines, too, but I had thought about the
Judas-selling-Christ scene.
Nancy
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: 
