The Thing About Religion

Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem Double-Arm Reliquary Cross

This double-arm reliquary cross has a cavity in the front with three circular openings at the bottom and vertical terminal ends of the cross arm. These cavities once held fragments of four of the most important relics of Christ’s Crucifixion: A portion of the True Cross, a piece of Christ’s sudarium (the cloth that wrapped his head at the Crucifixion), parts of the sponge used to give Jesus vinegar during his crucifixion, and fragments of the reed staff used to torment Jesus before his crucifixion. (1) These relics were identified by the open cavities on the reliquary’s front and the Latin inscriptions on the back. The detalied elements of this reliquary cross show the creators' intentionality in showcasing the relics and enhancing the viewers' experience with them.

The reliquary cross is mounted on a small globe and has the trademark decorative feature of strips of twisted wire molding that can be attributed to a leading goldsmith in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem during the 12th century. While it would not be surprising for Latin kings and patriarchs of Jerusalem to be in possession of relics of the True Cross during the 12th century, the presence of relics of the Holy Sponge, reed, and sudarium were somewhat unusual because these relics were known to have been kept in the Pharos Church, inside the imperial palace in Constantinople. If the inscriptions on the reliquary and its contents were not added after the 12th century, it indicates that the reliquary’s original owner was most likely among the most powerful and influential figures in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. This notion is further supported by the artist’s choice of gold as the medium for this reliquary cross. (2)
(1) https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1983.208

(2) https://projects.mcah.columbia.edu/treasuresofheaven/relics/Double-Arm-Reliquary-Cross.php

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