Enamel from a Reliquary

Master of the Virgin Mary's Reliquary Casket

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These delicately patterned enamels once formed part of a large shrine (perhaps as much as six feet long) to contain the precious remains of Christian saints. The rectangular plaques would have been set horizontally or vertically as border decoration; the medallion served as a decorative halo for a statuette of a saint. The lavish attention given to these small elements is a testament to the importance of the commission and to the skill of the goldsmith. When such shrines were restored in the 19th and early 20th centuries, original plaques were sometimes replaced with modern copies in impeccable condition, and originals like these were sold to collectors.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art