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Reliquary (Chasse)

1220-1230
Artist/maker unknown, French

This casket, or chasse, functioned as a reliquary—a container for relics of a Christian saint. The front side depicts the Journey of the Magi and Adoration of the Magi, important moments in the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Set against a brilliant blue background, the Magi, also known as the three wise kings, first journey on horseback across the top panel. On the lower panel, having arrived at their destination, the wise kings present gifts to a young Christ and his mother Mary, who are sitting on a throne.

A door on the back of the chasse allowed privileged priests and aristocrats to see or even hold the relics inside. Most worshippers, however, could only glimpse the reliquary on a church altar or in a sacristy, a room where sacred objects and garments were stored. While the artist may have intended the chasse to hold relics related to the story of the Magi, those from other holy figures could have been added over centuries of veneration and use. (By the time it came to the museum, however, the container was empty.)


Object Details

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