Areliquary (also referred to as ashrine,chasse, orphylactery)[1] is a container forrelics. A portable reliquary, or the room in which one is stored, may also be called aferetory.[2][3] A brooch-like container for a very small relic may be called a "theca".
Relics may be the purported or actual physical remains ofsaints, and may comprise bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or with other religious figures. Objects owned or touched by the figure may be called "contact relics". The authenticity of any given relic is often a matter of debate; for that reason, some churches require documentation of a relic's provenance.
Relics have long been important to Buddhists,Christians,Hindus, and to followers of many other religions.[4][5][6] These cultures often display reliquaries in shrines, churches, or temples to which the faithful makepilgrimages to gain blessings.
The term is sometimes used in a looser sense to mean a container for the remains of any important figure, even non-religious ones. In particular, thekings of France often specified that their hearts and sometimes other organs be buried in a different location from their body.
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The use of reliquaries became an important part ofChristian practices from at least the 4th century, initially in theEastern Churches, which adopted the practice of moving and dividing the bodies of saints much earlier than the West, probably in part because the new capital ofConstantinople, unlike Rome, lacked buried saints. Relics are venerated inOriental Orthodox,Eastern Orthodox,Roman Catholic, and someAnglican Churches. Reliquaries provide a means of protecting and displaying relics. While frequently taking the form of caskets, they range in size from simple pendants or rings to very elaborateossuaries.[7]
The relics were enshrined in containers crafted of or covered withgold,silver, gems, andenamelled glass.[7]Ivory was widely used in the Middle Ages for reliquaries; its pure white color is an indication of the holy status of its contents.[8] These objects constituted a major form of artistic production across Europe and Byzantium throughout the Middle Ages.[citation needed]
Many were designed with portability in mind, often being exhibited in public or carried inprocession on the saint'sfeast day or on otherholy days.Pilgrimages often centered on theveneration of relics. The faithful often venerate relics by bowing before the reliquary or kissing it; those churches that observe the veneration of relics distinguish between the honor given to the saints and the worship that is due to God alone (seeSecond Council of Nicea).[citation needed]
Sixteenth-century reformers such asMartin Luther opposed the use of relics since many had no proof of historical authenticity and objected to a cult of saints. Many reliquaries, particularly in northern Europe, were destroyed byCalvinists or Calvinist sympathizers during theReformation, being melted down or pulled apart to recover precious metals and gems. Nonetheless, the use and manufacture of reliquaries continue to this day, especially inRoman Catholic andOrthodox Christian countries.[citation needed]
The earliest reliquaries were essentially boxes, either simply box-shaped or based on an architectural design, taking the form of a model of a church with a pitched roof. These latter are known aschasse (from Frenchchâsse), and typical examples from the 12th to 14th century have wooden frameworks withgilt-copper plaques nailed on, decorated inchamplevé enamel.Limoges was the largest production centre.[citation needed]
Relics of theTrue Cross became very popular from the 9th century onward and were housed in magnificent gold and silver cross-shaped reliquaries decorated with enamels and precious stones. From about the end of the 10th century, reliquaries in the shape of the relics they housed also became popular; hence, for instance, the skull ofPope Alexander I was housed in a head-shaped reliquary. Similarly, the bones of saints were often housed in reliquaries that recalled the shape of the original body part, such as an arm or a foot.
ManyEastern Orthodox reliquaries housing tiny pieces of relics have circular or cylindrical slots in which small disks ofwax-mastic are placed, in which the actual relic is embedded.[9]
Aphilatory is a transparent reliquary designed to contain and exhibit thebones and relics of saints. This style of reliquary has a viewing portal to view the relic inside. Theferetrum was a medieval form of reliquary orshrine containing the sacredeffigies and relics of a saint.
During the laterMiddle Ages, themonstrance form, primarily used for consecrated hosts, was sometimes used for reliquaries. These housed the relic in a rock crystal, or glass capsule mounted on a column above a base, enabling the relic to be displayed to the faithful. Reliquaries in the form of large pieces of metalwork jewellery also appeared around this time, housing tiny relics such as pieces of theHoly Thorn, notably theHoly Thorn Reliquary now in theBritish Museum.
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In Buddhism,stupas are an important form of a reliquary and may be buried inside larger structures such as astupa orchorten. Particularly in China and throughout East and Southeast Asia, these take the form of apagoda; in Japan, this is known as atō.
Two famous very early excavated reliquaries are the 1st-centuryBimaran Casket and theKanishka Casket of 127 AD, both believed to have contained part of the cremated remains ofGautama Buddha.Relics associated with Buddha are the most important in Buddhism, but those related to other enlightened figures likeSariputta andMoggallana are also highly revered.
In Buddhism, relics are known ascetiya; one of the most significant is therelic of the tooth of the Buddha inSri Lanka. In Japan, Buddhist relics are known asshari (舎利; from Sanskritśarīra), and are often stored in ashariden (舎利殿; relic hall, reliquary). (See also:Japanese Buddhist architecture) The Golden Pavilion atKinkaku-ji in Kyoto is a well-known example of ashariden.
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