Chasse with The Crucifixion and Christ in Majesty

Unknown

ca. 1190 · Champlevé enamel: dark, medium, and light blue; turquoise, green, yellow, opaque and translucent red, and white; wood core, painted red on exterior; copper: engraved, stippled and gilt. · Medieval Art

The shape of this chasse, or container for the relics of a saint, is one of the most commonly produced during the Middle Ages, and the scenes of the Crucifixion, Christ in Majesty, and Apostles are so standard that it is impossible to say what relics it originally housed. The reliquary is remarkable for the richness of its palette (especially in the multicolored columns), the use of enamel to define the hands and feet of the figures, and the sophisticated engraving and stippling of the copper ground.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1190

Medium

Champlevé enamel: dark, medium, and light blue; turquoise, green, yellow, opaque and translucent red, and white; wood core, painted red on exterior; copper: engraved, stippled and gilt.

Culture

French

Department

Medieval Art

Credit line

Gift of George Blumenthal, 1941