Reliquary of Saint Anastasios the Persian

969–70

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Intended to hold the skull of Saint Anastasios (died 628), this reliquary recalls the domed marble structure within the Holy Sepulchre that encloses the sacred spot of Jesus’s entombment. According to legend, the converted saint was baptized in that church, at which time he received the name Anastasios, a reference to the church’s Greek name, Anastasis. The Greek-inscribed Psalm verses refer to Jerusalem as "Sion" and the "City of God."

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Reliquary of Saint Anastasios the Persian
Date: 969–70
Geography: Made in The Holy Land
Medium: Silver repoussé, gilding and niello
Dimensions: 7 11/16 × 7 7/8 × 15 3/8 in. (19.6 × 20 × 39 cm)
Classification: Metalwork-Silver
Credit Line: Domkapitel and Domschatzkammer, Aachen
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters