Reliquary in the Shape of a Sarcophagus

Reliquary in the Shape of a Sarcophagus

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Holes in the lids of sarcophagus-shaped reliquaries, as seen here, allowed the faithful to insert cloth attached to narrow rods into the reliquary in order to absorb the power of the relic through contact. Alternatively, oil was poured through the hole and collected by means of a second hole in the base in containers brought by the faithful.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Reliquary in the Shape of a SarcophagusReliquary in the Shape of a SarcophagusReliquary in the Shape of a SarcophagusReliquary in the Shape of a SarcophagusReliquary in the Shape of a Sarcophagus

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.