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Weddeghe Velstede

Reliquary Monstrance with a Tooth of Saint John the Baptist

1433; container: 900/1200
Silver gilt, rock crystal, textile, and human remains
45.8 × 14.7 cm (18 × 5.8 in)

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● On view now — Gallery 236

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This reliquary uses the form of a miniature Gothic tower. It makes an elaborate architectural frame for a transparent rock-crystal vessel holding a relic that is identified as a tooth of Saint John the Baptist by an inscription along the base of the reliquary. Rock crystal was highly prized in the medieval Islamic world. Considered a precious stone, it was used to create a number of luxurious secular objects, including this vessel, which was probably originally intended to be a container for fragrant oils.

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