Holy Relics and Their Medieval Reliquaries

Detail of decorative patterns and figurative images of the gold filigree and niello plaques from "Arm Reliquary," circa 1230. The Cloisters Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. (Public Domain)

Relics are sacred materials customarily from the body of a holy person or a fragment of an object a holy person touched. They are believed to retain the power and sanctity of the original revered person, often Jesus or a saint. In the Middle Ages, elaborate and magnificent reliquaries (objects that house relics) were created for both sacred and private spaces.

These highly artistic reliquaries, often made from precious metals and stones, were considered befitting containers to enshrine these objects that directly connected worshippers to the divine. Three outstanding reliquaries spanning three centuries, now part of museum collections, represents the breadth of relics and reliquary forms from the Middle Ages.

‘Processional Cross’

Reverse side of the “Processional Cross," circa 1150–1175. Silver, partially gilt on wood core, carved gems, and jewels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. (Public Domain)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s sumptuous 12th-century “Processional Cross,” made in Asturias, Spain, conveys both luxury and spirituality with its liberal use of silver and gilding, as well as gems and antique intaglios set in gilded filigree bars. Traditionally, a processional cross takes center stage during liturgical processions. It is often hung above the altar when not in use, allowing it to be visible to the congregation.

On the front of “Processional Cross,” above the hammered golden halo of a crowned and triumphant Christ is a piece of rock crystal. This crystal covers a cavity which still holds an unidentifiable relic.

The reverse side of this processional cross reliquary is beautifully designed with fluid foliate motifs that meander horizontally and vertically, giving the composition a cyclic, balanced structure. The center of the cross shows the Lamb of God.

Detailed arms of "Processional Cross" reliquary with (L-R) the symbols of Saint Mark, Saint John, and Saint Luke. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Public Domain)

The cross’s arms display fine metalwork figures that appear to be symbols of the Evangelists: the lion for Saint Mark, the eagle for Saint John, the ox for Saint Luke, and the angel for Saint Matthew. The Latin inscription on the back of the cross states, “In honor of the Holy Savior: Sanccia (Sancha) Guidisalvi had me made.” The feminine ending of the name suggests that either the goldsmith or the donor of this artwork was a woman, adding an air of mystery to this powerful piece.

‘Arm Reliquary’

"Arm Reliquary," circa 1230. Silver, gilded silver, niello, and gems. The Cloisters Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. (Public Domain)

At The Met Cloisters there is a gallery called the “Treasury,” which displays small-scale, luxurious artworks made of precious materials reflecting great medieval artistic achievement. One of its displayed artworks, which would have been an important object in a contemporaneous church treasury, is a South Netherlandish “Arm Reliquary” from the 13th century. Composed of a gilt bronze hand and a silver arm over an oak base, the reliquary is richly decorated with fine gold filigree, gems, and plaques made of niello (a black compound of sulfur and silver inlaid on metal surfaces). The plaques portray a mixture of purely decorative patterns and figurative images, which include Saints Peter and Paul.

Authors Peter Barnet and Nancy Wu, in “The Cloisters: Medieval Art and Architecture,” explain that the creation of hand and arm reliquaries date to the beginning of the early Middle Ages. When such an object was carried in procession, its powerful image could be seen, even at a distance, by worshippers. Analyzing this example from The Met Cloisters, Barnet and Wu write that “the hand gestures in benediction, with the thumb and first two fingers raised. Sanctity of the relics, regardless of their type, would have served to increase the sacral power of this gesture.”

There are two cavities for relics in “Arm Reliquary,” which were presumably covered with rock crystals, as in The Met’s “Processional Cross.” However, the crystal and relics are now lost.

Pendant of the Holy Thorn

“Reliquary Pendant of the Holy Thorn,” circa 1340. Gold, thorn, amethyst, enamel, and rock crystal, The British Museum, London. (Paul Hudson/CC BY 2.0)

The 14th-century “Reliquary Pendant of the Holy Thorn,” which is part of The British Museum’s permanent collection, has an exterior that is set with a large kidney-shaped cabochon amethyst that informs the shape of the pendant but gives no hint as to the interior relic.

On a podcast episode from Les Enluminures, a gallery specializing in medieval and renaissance art, associate Kristen Racaniello explains the importance of amethysts in Christianity: It is the final foundation stone of heavenly Jerusalem as described by John in Revelation. Racaniello described how personal reliquary jewels were intended for one user. When it adorned a person’s body, it protected the wearer and provided literal contact with the holy relic.

These intimate, wearable reliquaries were often made of the same luxurious materials, such as gems, precious metals, and enamel, as larger reliquaries. The interior of “Reliquary Pendant of the Holy Thorn” reveals three leaves stacked like pages in a book. They are made of dazzling basse-taille enamel, a technique in which shallow wells are cut into a metal base. The enamel is laid in thin, translucent sheets which allows the metal to shine through. Each leaf in this reliquary pendant is divided into two sections, which depict biblical narratives including the Nativity, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the Presentation in the Temple, the Flight into Egypt, the Virgin and Child Enthroned, the Crucifixion, and the Descent from the Cross. In addition, there is a secular scene showing a praying king and queen.

According to Naomi Speakman, a curator at The British Museum, these figures may be the French royal couple King Philip VI and Jeanne de Bourgogne, conceivably identifiable due to the reliquary pendant’s date of creation and its Parisian manufacture. “The central leaf showing the Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds is a painted piece of vellum covered by rock crystal (imitating enamelwork) that conceals the relic of the Holy Thorn, topped with a small gold crown,” wrote Speakman in a catalogue note. A holy thorn from the Crown of Thorns, worn by Christ, was a celebrated medieval relic and is an example of a relic subcategory: Passion relics—objects that touched Christ at the time of the Passion.

These three reliquaries are now housed in museums and are no longer actively used in a religious context. However, they still engage the modern viewer in artistic appreciation and can inspire spiritual contemplation. This is the timeless power of these objects.