Double Reliquary with Christ Resurrected, Mary Magdalene, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Montpellier, about 1350. Rock crystal, gilded silver, and enamel. Bequest of Charles Phelps Taft and Anna Sinton Taft, 1931.288 © Taft Museum

This rare reliquary is made from jewel-like enamels and precious materials, but even more precious were the relics it once held. These sacred objects—such as the tooth of a saint or a splinter of the True Cross—would have been visible through the rock crystal chambers. Craftspeople favored this fragile mineral not only for its transparent qualities, but also because it was a symbol of divine purity.

The colorful plaque, executed in the basse-taille enameling technique, was made by carving designs into a sheet of silver. The artisan then applied a brilliant array of transparent enamels. Once fired, the surface was polished, enhancing the object’s luminosity.