Reliquary
Medium
Decorative Arts
Classification
Decorative Arts
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly
Accession Number
1929.8.307
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian American Museum's Decorative Arts, this *Reliqu*—a gift from collector John Gellatly—es as a poignant reminder of devotion's tangible form. Reliquaries were ornate containers designed to house sacred relics, such as fragments of saints' bones or holy objects, venerated in Christian traditions from medieval Europe through later centuries. Though the artist and exact date remain unidentified, its presence in an American art context highlights how such artifacts crossed oceans, enriching private collections and museums with their spiritual aura. Crafted as a decorative...
About the Artist
Unidentified ( ) · –