The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 17, 2022

Monstrance with a Relic of Saint Sebastian

1484

This object has related works. See Medallion with the Bust of Christ ("The Cumberland Medallion"), from the Guelph Treasure; Monstrance with the "Paten of Saint Bernward"; Arm Reliquary of the Apostles; The So-called Horn of Saint Blaise; Book-Shaped Reliquary; Ceremonial Cross of Countess Gertrude; Ceremonial Cross of Count Liudolf; Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude

Germany, Lower Saxony, Brunswick, Gothic period, 15th century

Gilded silver, rock crystal

Overall: 47 cm (18 1/2 in.)

Gift of Julius F. Goldschmidt, Z. M. Hackenbroch, and J. Rosenbaum in memory of the Exhibition of the Guelph Treasure held in the Cleveland Museum of Art from 10 January to 1 February 1931 1931.65

Location

106C Medieval Treasury

Fun Fact

In the Middle Ages, people suffering from diseases might make a journey, or pilgrimage, to venerate relics such as this one. The faithful believed that the remains of saints and holy people like Saint Sebastian could help those seeking aid such as relief from the plague.

Description

This Late Gothic monstrance (from the Latin monstrare, "to show") is mentioned in the earliest inventory of Saint Blaise as "a large new monstrance containing relics of Saint Sebastian the martyr." Judging from surviving receipts, the reliquary was made by Werner Korff, a local goldsmith, who received payments for silver and gilding at the end of 1484. The reliquary was first displayed on the altar of the church of Saint Blaise in a solemn penitential mass on June 4, 1484, in an effort to ward off the plague. A recent examination revealed that the relic is a human metatarsal bone (one of five long bones of the human foot) and that its owner seemed to have suffered from periostitis, a medical condition that affects the connective tissue surrounding the bone.

Provenance
Treasury, Cathedral of St. Blaise, Brunswick; House of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Julius F. Goldschmidt, New York.
Citations
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 70 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 70 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 79 archive.org
Exhibition history

The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition: The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 26-October 12, 1936).

The Silver Jubilee Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-September 28, 1941).

Juxtapositions. The Cleveland Museum of Art (September 11-October 10, 1965).

All That Glitters: Great Silver Vessels in Cleveland's Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 23, 1994-January 8, 1995).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1931.65