Art Institute of Chicago
Reliquary
Designed by Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (born France, 1814–1879)
- Date
- c. 1851
- Medium
- Brass, gilded copper alloy, and wood
- Culture
- Paris
- Department
- Applied Arts of Europe
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
An expert in historic churches and religious objects, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc likely based the design of this reliquary (a receptacle for sacred relics) on a medieval example with a similar gabled roof also embellished with pinecones, a symbol of eternal life. This object was produced by Louis Bachelet’s foundry, probably as a model that never contained relics. The foundry promoted Viollet-le-Duc’s design through a printed catalogue and in its showroom. The finished reliquaries cost between 2,300 and 2,800 francs (over $40,000 today), depending on the extent of the surface decoration and whether it was varnished or gilded.
The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Linked open data
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- Object type
- AAT300411548
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