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Triptych Reliquary of the Cross

ca. 1160–70
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Christ in the heavens presides over the End of Days, when angels sound trumpets awakening the dead and a benevolent Justice weighs their souls, with Mercy and Piety acting as advocates. Angels representing Truth and Judgment once guarded a now-lost relic of the Cross, but the entire scene is framed as a treasure, kept safely hidden until the beholder folds back the doors.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Triptych Reliquary of the Cross
  • Date: ca. 1160–70
  • Geography: Made in probably Liège, Meuse Valley, present-day Belgium
  • Culture: Mosan
  • Medium: Gilded copper, champlevé enamel, émail brun, and rock crystal
  • Dimensions: Open: 10 5/8 × 11 1/2 in. (27 × 29.2 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Copper
  • Credit Line: Private Collection, UK
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters