The cathedral in Amiens, France was built between 1220 and 1270 in the High Gothic style. It was originally built in order to house the relic of the head of John the Baptist, which arrived on December 17, 1206 after having been looted during the sack…
Another head of John the Baptist is held at San Silvestro in Rome. Additional head relics can be found at a shrine at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (Great Mosque of Damascus) and the Residenz Museum in Munich. This head of John the Baptist first…
This reliquary casket shows the central figure of Christ flanked by the four martyrs of Trebizond: Aquila, Eugenius, Valerian, and Canidius. The long inscription makes an appeal to Christ for salvation. There has been some scholarly debate regarding…
The inscription along the outer rim of this glass lamp reads (in translation from the original Greek): "Saint Panteleimon, protect thy servant, Zacharias, Archbishop of Iberia, Amen." Iberia, in this case, refers to Georgia.
This staff was used by Primates of San Marco and is still used during the most holy festivals. The ornate carving depicts comprises of foliate motifs, architectural renderings, as well as figures. The central figure of St. Mark is cast as opposed to…
The fragment of the Column of the Flagellation contained within this reliquary is thought to have arrived in Venice from Constantinople in 1125 along with various other relics. The reliquary itself, however, was commissioned in 1375 by Michele…
This icon is made up of several previously unrelated elements of Byzantine artistry, all set within a Venetian filigree panel. The central lapis medallion represents one of just a few examples of Byzantine hard-stone that has been inlaid with gold.…
The inner reliquary of the True Cross was made by a goldsmith, Gerard, in Constantinople before 1216 for Henry of Flanders. The exact date of the arrival of this True Cross reliquary in Venice is unknown, but it is considered most likely that it…
This Egyptian Fatimid rock-crystal ewer features carved reliefs of arabesques and palmettes, seated lions, and additional foliate motifs. A Kufic inscription reads "The blessing of God on the imam al-Aziz bi'llah." The gold mount is much later, and…
The opaque turquoise glass bowl features images of running, stylized hares in each of the five panels. The five enamel plaques have been identified as Byzantine, but were most likely made for another purpose. Three are decorated with a rosette…