Reliquary

late 13th century

On View

European: Medieval and Renaissance, Level 2, West Wing

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Provenance

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Audio Transcript

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About the Artwork

In Catholicism, relics (the physical remains of saints or objects that belonged to them) can invoke holy figures’ presence or even their intervention through miracles, allowing the faithful to experience personal encounters with the divine. No matter how small or fragmentary, relics are believed to retain the full power of the saint with whom they were associated.

Due to this spiritual power, relics were considered far more precious than the valuable materials — like rock crystal, gold, enamel, or jewels — often used to encase and display them in containers called reliquaries. For medieval and early modern believers, the sight of a relic could have immense benefits, and the clear crystal of this reliquary was meant to show off the sliver of bone inside. The conical, shingled roof above the crystal chamber symbolizes the central importance of relics within the Church, while the angels that hold it suggest the saint’s place in heaven. Although the identity of the saint with whom it was associated has been lost, the object continues to present the relic as a spiritual treasure.

Title Reliquary

Artwork Date late 13th century

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. French

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. ----------

Medium Gilt copper, rock crystal, enamel, and glass

Dimensions Overall: 16 × 10 × 4 3/4 inches (40.6 × 25.4 × 12.1 cm)

Classification Metalwork

Department European Sculpture and Dec Arts

Credit City of Detroit Purchase

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 28.147

Markings

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Provenance

By 1924, (Jacques Seligmann and Co., New York, New York, USA);
1928-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance, please visit:

Provenance page

Exhibition History

Please note: This section is empty

The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

Suggest Feedback