Reliquary
- Place of origin:
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
- Credit Line:
Dr W.L. Hildburgh Bequest
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
Sacred Silver & Stained Glass, room 84, case 1
- Download image
In the medieval period, the bones and body parts of saints, as well as fragments of their possessions, were all known as relics. They were kept in a shrine, or in special containers called reliquaries whose design sometimes evoked the relic itself. Both shrines and reliquaries were lavishly decorated with gold, silver, enamels and precious stones.
This empty reliquary portrays a young girl in a brocaded dress with a fashionable square-cut bodice. Her identity is unknown, but she probably represents a virgin martyr, perhaps St Ursula who, according to legend, was martyred with 11,000 virgins. The reliquary may originally have held a relic of her head.
Physical description
Silver parcel gilt. Life- sized head and shoulders bust of a young girl. Face silver, long gilt hair hanging down back. Square necked dress and under- chemise. Dress embossed with foliage. Circular holes in various places, including top of head. Join visible round neck.
Place of Origin
Spain (made)
Date
ca. 1525 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Silver parcel gilt
Dimensions
Height: 14.5 in, Width: 14.125 in
Object history note
Hildburgh Bequest
Descriptive line
Silver, partly gilded, Saragossa, Spain, about 1520–50
Exhibition History
Shrine and Body Relics (Sacred Silver and Stained Glass Galleries, the Victoria and Albert Museum 22/11/2005-22/11/2005)
Labels and date
Head Reliquary
In the medieval period, the bones and body parts of saints, as well as fragments of their possessions, were all known as relics. They were kept in a shrine, or in special containers called reliquaries whose design sometimes evoked the relic itself. Both shrines and reliquaries were lavishly decorated with gold, silver, enamels and precious stones.
This empty reliquary portrays a young girl in a brocaded dress with a fashionable square-cut bodice. Her identity is unknown, but she probably represents a virgin martyr, perhaps St Ursula who, according to legend, was martyred with 11,000 virgins. The reliquary may originally have held a relic of her head.
Saragossa, Spain, about 1520–50
Silver, partly gilded
Museum no.M.468-1956. Hildburgh Bequest [27/10/2005]
Materials
Silver; Gold
Techniques
Parcel gilding
Categories
Metalwork; Religion; Christianity
Collection code
MET
