The Holy Thorn Reliquary
author John Cherry
56 pages ppbk
The Holy Thorn Reliquary is a stunning example of the goldsmith's art. Made in gold and enamel and decorated with precious stones, the reliquary depicts the salvation of mankind through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It was commissioned around 1400-10 by Jean, duc de Berry, a member of the French royal family, to house a single thorn from the relic of Christ's Crown of Thorns. The relic of the whole crown had been bought by the French king Louis IX (St Louis) in 1239 for an enormous sum and had become a symbol of the French monarchy.
Having left the duke's possession-thus ensuring its survival at a time when much goldwork was melted down by the English after the Hundred Years War-the reliquary was recorded in Vienna from around 1544 until the 1860s. It then fell into the hands of an unscrupulous antique dealer who had a copy of the reliuary made, which he returned to Vienna. Eventually acquired by a member of the wealthy Rothschild family, its true identity was not discovered until the twentieth century.
This book explores the meaning and history of this fascinating masterpiece, and tells the tale of its remarkable survival and eventual passage to the British Museum as part of the magnificent Waddesdon Bequest.
