NARRATOR: This thirteenth-century reliquary in the shape of an arm comes from the Mosan region, which today is part of Belgium. The hand is gilt bronze, and the sleeve is silver over an oak base. The whole piece is richly decorated with gems, filigree, and enamel. Note especially the elaborate plaques with figurative scenes in niello, a technique in which a black compound of sulfur and silver is inlaid on metal surfaces. Reliquaries often form an important part of a church's treasury, and are highly venerated objects. They hold relics of saints or holy persons. Reliquaries were thought to retain the power and holiness of the saintly person. Relics may be bones or objects that have come into contact with the holy person. Reliquaries are sometimes small boxes, large containers, or in the shape of a body part, like this arm reliquary. Usually it is the arm bone of the saint that would be enclosed in an arm reliquary. But, more important is the symbolism of the hand: it gestures, touches, delivers blessings, and can effect miracles like healing.