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Reliquary Cross

German (Hildesheim)

ca. 1180–90

Not on view

Henry the Lion (ca. 1130–1195), duke of Saxony and Bavaria, was believed to have presented a relic of the True Cross, framed at the center of this cross, to the Church of the Holy Cross in Hildesheim. No evidence supports that legend, but the importance of the relic enshrined here is not in doubt. It is proclaimed by the cross’s profusion of jewels and its array of goldsmiths’ techniques, including filigree and delicately hammered leaf patterns.

Reliquary Cross, Gilded silver, rock crystal, semiprecious stones, and ancient intaglios; wood core, German (Hildesheim) — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Reliquary Cross

Date: ca. 1180–90

Culture: German (Hildesheim)

Medium: Gilded silver, rock crystal, semiprecious stones, and ancient intaglios; wood core

Dimensions: Overall: 26 15/16 x 12 13/16 in. (68.5 x 32.5 cm)

Classification: Metalwork-Silver

Credit Line: Dom-Museum Hildesheim (DS L 112)

The Met

Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.