Plaque from a Reliquary Shrine

ca. 1186

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 304

Among the most splendid objects in the great churches of Cologne are large architectural shrines containing relics associated with local saints. These ambitious goldsmiths’ works are among the greatest artistic achievements of their time. Refined decorative fragments like the small rectangular plaques shown here are often all that remain of these monumental objects, as many were dismantled or even destroyed following the secularization of church property in this region in the first decade of the nineteenth century. During later efforts to restore shrines, some fragments were replaced and the originals sold to collectors and museums.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Plaque from a Reliquary Shrine
Date: ca. 1186
Geography: Made in Cologne, Germany
Culture: German
Medium: Champlevé and cloisonné enamel, copper alloy, gilt
Dimensions: Overall: 6 3/16 x 1 1/8 x 1/8 in. (15.7 x 2.9 x 0.3 cm)
Classification: Enamels-Champlevé
Credit Line: Gift of Alastair Bradley Martin, 1952
Object Number: 52.76.3
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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