Byzantium, ca. 9th to 13th century CE. This is a pair of particularly nice bronze religious objects -- my favorites that I have seen come across my desk! The first is a cross with applied elements, a hinge to hang it from, and dangling decorative objects. The second is a fully intact cross-shaped reliquary that is sealed shut. Relics -- physical remains of saints or objects associated with Christ, such as pieces of the True Cross, the shroud His body was wrapped in, or, mythically, the Holy Grail – held tremendous power in medieval Christianity. Reliquaries, objects designed to hold relics, were usually kept in cathedrals or churches, but some wealthy individuals were able to possess them. The less wealthy could purchase replicas of reliquaries, small reliquaries containing less precious items like soil from a holy site (like these), or metal items produced as a form of souvenir from shrines. Later, many of these objects were destroyed in times of religious conflict or strife; ones that are intact have often been passed down through generations of families. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has several of these items in its collection, including on display – see the small hinged cross reliquary that looks VERY similar to this one, depicting Christ and the Virgin in Gallery 303. Size of largest: 3.25" L x 1.6" W (8.3 cm x 4.1 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Estate of M. Reiniger, Chicago, IL

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#111592

Both have working hinges!