Portable reliquary with carrying strap
Type:
Reliquaries
Date:
Late eighth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
France
Medium:
Gilt-copper,
Leather,
Parchment,
Gems
Dimensions:
15.1 × 5.2 × 9.2 cm (without strap)
Description:
In the Middle Ages, Sens Cathedral had a collection of hundreds of relics, and small parchment tags helped to identify relics that might otherwise look unimpressive or indistinct. Sometimes medieval individuals taking care of large relic collections lost track of what different pieces were, which is clear from early medieval relic labels from Sens: "hic sunt reliquias / nescimus quales" (here are relics / we do not know what kind). In addition to relics and relic labels, the cathedral treasury has preserved a house- or tomb-shaped reliquary that was designed to be portable, which is evident from its leather carrying strap. Its exterior gilt-copper panels are ornamented with colored glass and possibly amber.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
4
Repository and Online Resources:
• The portable reliquary is displayed in the Musées de Sens, Trésor de la cathédrale Saint-Etienne.
• For more views, visit the page for this object on the Kornbluth Photography website.
Image Credits:
Genevra Kornbluth
