A Carolingian rock crystal from the Abbey of Saint-Denis at the British Museum

Abstract

The engravings devoted to the Trésor in Dom Félibien's history of the abbey of Saint-Denis, in spite of their inaccuracy, are a precious source of information about the pieces, some extremely ancient, that composed that celebrated ensemble, unfortunately dispersed at the Revolution. On the plate by Nicolas Guérard, dealing with the third armoire, is pictured a reliquary consisting of two oval rock crystals, placed one above the other, in a rich gold setting (Fig. I). The crystal situated beneath, which is the larger one, is engraved with a representation of Christ on the Cross between the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist. We learn from Dom Félibien that in his time—his book was printed in 1706—this reliquary enclosed some remnants of the clothes of St. Louis, king of France.