Reliquary Casket
c. 1200
Medium
Gilt copper, champlevé enamel over wood core
Dimensions
15.6 × 13.3 × 6.8 cm (6 1/8 × 5 1/4 × 2 11/16 in.)
Classification
enamel
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
46253
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This reliquary casket, with its vibrantly colored enamel fields, is typical of the objects created at the prolific workshops in and around Limoges, France, in the Middle Ages. By the end of the 12th century, opus lemovicense (Limoges work) had gained an international reputation, and documentary sources indicate that ornamentation with enamel was considered as precious as that with gemstones. Six figures of saints appear on the front panels of the casket, while a single saint is shown standing on...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...