Reliquary Arm of St. Valentine
Displayed on the high altar of Basel Cathedral on important feast days, this reliquary, like others of its classic type, was also used in public processions and for veneration. Such reliquaries not only evoke the memory and presence of a particular person but also communicate the broader idea of a saint's power and grace, embodied in the blessing gesture of the hand.
Artwork Details
- Title: Reliquary Arm of St. Valentine
- Date: 14th century
- Geography: Made in Basel, Switzerland
- Culture: Swiss
- Medium: Silver, partial gilt, sapphire
- Dimensions: 21 3/4 x 7 5/8 x 6 1/4 in. (55.2 x 19.4 x 15.9 cm)
- Classification: Metalwork-Silver
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
- Object Number: 17.190.351a, b
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
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ca. 1173–80
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ca. 1220–40, with later grill
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ca. 1150–75
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