The Holy Thorn Reliquary

This reliquary from Paris (c. 1400) combines enamelled gold, sapphires, rubies, and pearls around a central window for a single holy thorn. The miniature figures of Christ and angels frame the relic, turning the object into a staged vision of heavenly court. Commissioned by Jean, duc de Berry , it illustrates how French princes used lavish reliquaries to honor and display fragments of the Crown of Thorns.