ART418- reliquary

Reliquary is a container for a saint's bones were kept for religious purpose( to protect relics)
According to wikipedia "Another form of reliquary is called a monstrance. This style of reliquary has a viewing portal by which to view the relic contained inside"(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliquary).
"The earliest reliquaries were essentially boxes, either simply box-shaped or based on an architectural design (e.g. taking the form of a model of a church); these were known as shrines or chasses. Relics of the True Cross became very popular from the 9th century onwards and were housed in magnificent gold and silver cross-shaped reliquaries, decorated with enamels and precious stones. From about the end of the 10th century, reliquaries in the shape of the relics they housed also became popular; hence, for instance, Pope Alexander I's skull was housed in a head-shaped reliquary. Similarly, the bones of saints were often housed in reliquaries that recalled the shape of the original body part, such as an arm or a foot"(also from wikipedia).


Reliquary are used in different countries with a variety of designs and for a different purposes.

"Reliquaries were often designed in shapes that reflected the nature of their contents, such as hands, shoes, buildings, and heads. They were richly decorated with gold, silver, enamel, and jewels"(http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/reliquary.aspx).