Finer Than Gold: Saints and Their Relics in the Middle Ages

by James Robinson

And so we afterwards took up his bones which are more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold ...This title presents an account of the martyrdom of Polycarp, c. AD 156. From the earliest period of Christian worship striking comparisons were drawn between sacred matter and precious materials. The association was given its most literal manifestation in the painstaking creation of sumptuous reliquaries of gold and silver, encrusted with precious stones, made to contain relics of Christ and the saints their body parts and items owned or touched by them. Focusing on the British Museums outstanding collection of reliquaries, "Finer than Gold" offers a concise introduction to the practice of relic veneration in the Middle Ages. It includes treasures such as the celebrated St Eustace reliquary head from Basle, the stirring St Oda reliquary studded with the relics of female saints and the uniquely luxurious Holy Thorn reliquary commissioned by the princely Jean duc de Berry in fourteenth-century Paris. Pilgrimage, patronage, private devotion and crusade are just some of the compelling themes explored in this richly illustrated book.

Genres: Medieval History, Art, History

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2011

About the author

James Robinson is Curator of the Medieval Gallery at the British Museum. He was also the curator of the Exhibition "Treasures of Heaven" in 2011.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nicely put together book, with beautiful illustrations and photographs, providing a useful introductory survey of the development of the ideas which led to the use of relics and their impact on the life of the Church and its members. The influence of and impact on the politics of the time are also referenced.