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Medieval reliquary

Type Object Region Europe Time 1180–1190

Reliquaries of the 1180s, from the Romanesque to early Gothic transition in Europe, held saints' bones, relic fragments, or relics, mostly made of go…

Timeline

  1. 1181–1185Cologne Cathedral · North Rhine-WestphaliaChurches of the Rhenish archbishoprics commissioned house-shaped or box-shaped reliquaries for important relics, using enamel and gemstones to enhance the visibility and sanctity of the relics, attracting pilgrims and donations.
  2. 1186–1190Limoges · AquitaineEnamel workshops in places like Limoges produced bust-shaped reliquaries on commission for monasteries and nobles; by the late 1180s, Gothic pointed arches and tracery patterns began to infiltrate reliquary decoration.

Sources