Matter of Faith

One of the central questions plaguing the cult of saints since its inception is how can the remains of holy men and women act as agents of God? After all, one is entirely material and thereby earth-bound, while the other is spiritual and can be manifest only in heaven.

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Fatimid Flask Reliquary, detailFatimid Flask Reliquary The modest dimensions of this Fatimid rock crystal vessel suggest that it was probably crafted originally as a perfume flask. At some point in the fourteenth century, it was converted to use as a Christian reliquary.

Crystal Reliquary, detailCrystal Reliquary This barrel-shaped reliquary consists of a large, cylindrical piece of crystal bored down the middle to create a narrow compartment for a relic.

Reliquary from the Shrine of St. Oda, detailReliquary from the Shrine of St. Oda Like many surviving works of medieval art, these gable-shaped reliquaries are the product of a number of medieval and modern alterations.

Reliquary of St. Gondulph, detailReliquary of St. Gondulph These gable reliquaries are part of a set of four, which until 1811 were placed on each side of the chasse of St. Servais in the saint's eponymous church in Maastricht.

Reliquary of the True Cross, detailReliquary of the True Cross Purported fragments of the True Cross were brought to western Europe from the Holy Land and the Byzantine Empire throughout the Middle Ages, and their popularity appears to have increased with the greater contact between these regions during the Crusades.

Reliquary Cross, detailReliquary Cross These objects constitute the long-separated front and back of a Mosan cross reliquary.

PhylacteryPhylactery The narrative panels on the front potentially suggest the nature of the relic once contained by the phylactery and depict the discovery of the True Cross by the empress Helena.

Triptych Reliquary of the True Cross, detailTriptych Reliquary of the True Cross The triptych's elaborate iconographic program is intimately tied to the relic of the True Cross—and possibly other relics of Christ's Passion—once displayed behind rock crystal in the cavity at its center.

Reliquary Chasse with St. Valerie, detailReliquary Chasse with St. Valerie The scenes on the front and lid of this chasse are episodes from the martyrdom of St. Valerie, the patron saint of Limoges.

Reliquary Chasse with the Virgin and Child, detailReliquary Chasse with the Virgin and Child We do not know what this casket once held, but the large image of the Virgin and Child that dominates the front of the chasse may hint at the type of relics it contained.

Reliquary Chasse with the Holy Women at the Tomb, detailReliquary Chasse with the Holy Women at the Tomb Scholars have linked this object with several saints, including St. Martial, the first bishop of Limoges.

Reliquary Chasse with the Adoration of the Magi, detailReliquary Chasse with the Adoration of the Magi Depictions of the three Wise Men are found on a number of Limoges caskets, ranking with St. Thomas Becket and St. Valerie among the most popular subjects.

Reliquary Chasse with the Adoration of the Magi, detailReliquary Chasse with the Adoration of the Magi In addition to their role as historical witnesses to the Nativity, the three Magi are symbolically important to Christian doctrine: they are icons of true faith and belief in the divinity of Christ.

Reliquary Chasse with Scenes from the Life of Christ, detailReliquary Chasse with Scenes from the Life of Christ The front of the casket features several scenes from the life of Christ: along the top are the Presentation in the Temple, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Flight into Egypt, and on the lower panel, Christ carrying the Cross, the Crucifixion, and the Holy Women at the Tomb.

Reliquary Chasse with Scenes of the Martyrdom of Thomas Becket, detailReliquary Chasse with Scenes of the Martyrdom of Thomas Becket This is undoubtedly one of the earliest reliquaries associated with the sainted archbishop of Canterbury; its dramatic use of niello lends a cold, graphic immediacy to the scenes.

Reliquary Pendant with Queen Margaret of Sicily and Bishop Reginald of Bath, detailReliquary Pendant with Queen Margaret of Sicily and Bishop Reginald of Bath Reginald Fitz-Jocelyn, who was consecrated as bishop of Bath in 1174, presented this pendant to Margaret of Navarre, queen of Sicily.

Reliquary Chasse with Scenes of the Martyrdom of Thomas Becket, detailReliquary Chasse with Scenes of the Martyrdom of Thomas Becket A very similar chasse is in the Musée du Louvre, Paris. The front panels of both show the scene of Becket's murder: as he stands by an altar his neck is struck by the sword of one of two knights who advance upon him.

Plaque from a Reliquary Chasse, detailPlaque from a Reliquary Chasse While chasses decorated with scenes of the martyrdom of Thomas Becket are likely to have contained relics of the saint, their actual relic content rarely survives.

The Butler Hours, detailThe Butler Hours Books of Hours were personal prayer books made for the laity, based on the daily prayer cycles or "hours" observed by monks.

Reliquary Head of St. Eustace, detailReliquary Head of St. Eustace This head reliquary has been associated since 1477 with St. Eustace, a Roman general who, having seen a stag with an image of the Crucifixion between its antlers, converted to Christianity and was martyred for his faith.

Reliquary Bust of St. BalbinaReliquary Bust of St. Balbina A hinged rectangular lid at the crown of the head of this reliquary opens to expose the relics of a skull still nestled tightly inside.

Reliquary Bust of an Unknown Female Saint, Probably a Companion of St. Ursula, detailReliquary Bust of an Unknown Female Saint, Probably a Companion of St. Ursula By the late Middle Ages, bust reliquaries for the skulls of saints were often assembled in large numbers in church sanctuaries. This was especially the case with reliquaries of the companions of St. Ursula, legendarily reputed to number 11,000.

Reliquary of the Tooth of Mary Magdalene, detailReliquary of the Tooth of Mary Magdalene Over the course of the Middle Ages, the Magdalene became a highly venerated saint. Her relics were particularly venerated in France: at Vézelay, reputedly as early as the eighth century, and in Provence from the late thirteenth century.

Reliquary of the Foot of St. Blaise, detailReliquary of the Foot of St. Blaise Reliquaries shaped to "speak" their contents, such as this foot reliquary, often contained the relics of multiple saints.

Mandylion, detailMandylion The elaborate seventeenth-century mount that frames and crowns the likeness of Christ's face provides a brilliant contrast for the dark, almost invisible portrait and, simultaneously, establishes its aspect as a relic within a reliquary.

Pendant Icon with the Virgin Dexiokratousa, detailPendant Icon with the Virgin Dexiokratousa This small pendant belonged to the treasury of Aachen Cathedral until 1804, when it was given to Empress Joséphine of France as a gift.

Imago pietatis (Man of Sorrows), detailImago pietatis (Man of Sorrows) A precious icon of the Man of Sorrows made of minute stones in Byzantium at the end of the thirteenth century or the beginning of the fourteenth was treated as a relic only after it was brought to Rome around 1380.

Reliquary Frame, detailReliquary Frame Detachable from its base, the upper part could have been mounted on a pole and carried aloft in processions. Otherwise, the object likely resided upon the altar of a small chapel.

Wing of a Reliquary Diptych with the Crucifixion and Saints, detailWing of a Reliquary Diptych with the Crucifixion and Saints This work, probably the right wing of a diptych, brings together an unusual range of media, combining painted surfaces with inset plaques of verre églomisé as well as inlaid fragments of marble and ceramic.

Reliquary with Madonna and Child with Saints, detailReliquary with Madonna and Child with Saints This triptych is both a painting and a reliquary; it once contained relics in the circular holes of the central section.

Reliquary Tabernacle with Virgin and Child, detailReliquary Tabernacle with Virgin and Child Naddo Ceccarelli, a talented follower of Simone Martini (ca. 1284–1344), was one of a handful of Sienese painters to create reliquaries that emulated the work produced by goldsmiths.

Reliquary Triptych with the Annunciation, St. Ansanus, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Crucifixion, detailReliquary Triptych with the Annunciation, St. Ansanus, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Crucifixion Although related to a devotional format established by the mid-fourteenth century, this winged tabernacle uniquely incorporates an ivory diptych into its central panel.

Reliquary with the Man of Sorrows, detailReliquary with the Man of Sorrows The image of the Man of Sorrows is a distillation of the events of Christ's Passion.

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