Reliquaries/Châsses of St. Thomas Becket

Some of the numerous extant Becket reliquary châsses made at Limoges in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries:

France

https://www.limousin-medieval.com/chasses-saint-thomas-becket

Centre de la Culture du Limousin Médiéval [Facebook]
https://goo.gl/tsHVB5

Musée National du Moyen Âge [formerly Musée de Cluny], Paris
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reliquary_Thomas_Becket_MNMA_Cl23296.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reliquary_Thomas_Becket_MNMA_Cl22596_n2.jpg

Musée Municipal de l'Évêché, Limoges
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/emolimo/thomas1.htm

Châsse de Thomas Becket Vers 1200. H : 12,9 ; La : 12,5 ; Pr : 6,6. Limoges, musée municipal de l'Evêché [inv. 90.458] Achat, 1990 (B. Blondeel et P. Carlier).

thomas1 archived

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Guéret (Creuse)
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/emolimo/thomas2.htm

Châsse de Thomas Becket Vers 1205-1215. H. 13 ; L. 12,3 ; La 6,7. Guéret, musée des Beaux-Arts [Inv. OA 4] Lieu de provenance inconnu.

thomas2 archived

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Murder_Thomas_Becket_MBA_Lyon_D411.jpg

Musée du Louvre, Paris
N° d’Inventaire OA11333
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Becket_Louvre_OA11333.jpg
Châsse : Assassinat et Ensevelissement de saint Thomas Becket
http://www.photo.rmn.fr/archive/93-005826-2C6NU0HOWIO2.html
http://images.alinari.it/img/480/DEA/DEA-S-009500-1357.jpg
N° d’Inventaire OA 7745
http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=5368
http://images.alinari.it/img/480/DEA/DEA-S-009500-1356.jpg

Musée d'art Roger-Quilliot, Clermont-Ferrand
http://www.clermont-ferrand.fr/local/cache-vignettes/L629xH651/Chasse_de_Saint-Thomas_Beckett_email_champleve-d2eb2.jpg

Cathédrale de Sens
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DQI2y04o77rfiGVQeBsa9e2fMhaq6joxbsjM-m1_c58jkmvSvTOJ9P1EuMTQtibi5h_v490dPucBwCT_CIauDu2KJLjl3kOtJ6gjOkrHN_pCbfxswVV9KxCHMiNXhzM5LaAddZb9r7k/s1600/chasse+copie.jpg

http://www.christaldesaintmarc.com/les-vitraux-la-sacristie-et-le-tresor-de-la-cathedrale-saint-etienne-d-a52476028

Le Vigéan, AuvergneChâsse de Thomas Becket

http://www.culture.gouv.fr/Wave/image/memoire/2591/ivr83_19981500072x_p.jpg

http://www.culture.gouv.fr/Wave/image/memoire/2021/sap83_15w00898_p.jpg

http://archives.cantal.fr/ark:/16075/a0113324287915mbqGp

http://archives.cantal.fr/ark:/16075/a0113249929316iWTuh

Italy

Agnani Cathedral Museum

Reliquary of Thomas Becket. Copper and enamel, 13th century. Museo della Cattedrale di Anagni, Anagni, Italy

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/reliquary-of-thomas-becket-copper-and-enamel-13th-stock-graphic/112190673

Lucca

Museo della Cattedrale di Lucca 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3837386490_88c39bba7c_o.jpg

http://www.luccaterre.it/immagini/big/MUS/MUS_F0133/MUS_F0133_B.jpg

Germany

Museum Schnütgen (St. Cäcilien), Köln:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/2127843870_2dcb1823bb_o.jpg

Sweden

Martyrdom of Thomas Becket on reliquary in Trönö new church, Hälsingland
[Rescued from a major fire]

Martyrdom of Thomas Becket on reliquary in Trönö new church, Hälsingland

Trönö relikskrin  Archived  Image Archived

Trönö Reliquary

United Kingdom

Burrell Collection Glasgow

CHASSE DEPICTING THE MURDER OF THOMAS BECKET French. Limoges, c. 1200-1210 Copper with champleve ... Hunt; 1934, bt William Burrell, £125; given by Sir William and Constance, Lady Burrell to Glasgow Corporation in 1944

http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/starobject.html?oid=36729

Hereford Cathedral

http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/UK/British%20History/Saint_Thomas/Images/800/Becket_Chasse_BAR700.jpg

http://www.wga.hu/html_m/zzdeco/1gold/12c/23e_1101.html

http://www.wga.hu/art/zzdeco/1gold/12c/23ehttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Bir0OGmOJr4JdSdzcNhnrCa50JQY45GIa81-vlV8rGx7pIRc1wtsAMHasgVzt2AGsPLTccN8ohEwQ3wLuzVsCVosiABFgsCj0QTnQKq5z7WnIfru6M_yZ5BqXczy1okOpmeX_inYA4p-/s1600/Limoges+Enamel+Reliquary.jpg_1101.jpg

http://www.historyfish.net/images/shrines/wall_four_21.jpg

 

Victoria and Albert Museum,

http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/60908-popup.html

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Beckett_casket.JPG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Becket_casket.jpg

The Becket Casket (Casket) V&A

Item - O122334 plaque-showing-murder-of-st-thomas becket

 

British Museum

http://blog.britishmuseum.org/2013/11/21/limoges-enamelled-plaque-a-dazzling-object/

Loaned from Society of Antiquaries, London

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/loan_in/b/becket_casket.aspx

http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps335217_l.jpg

http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/reliquary-depicting-st-thomas-beckets-martyrdom#

http://www.learn.columbia.edu/treasuresofheaven/relics/Reliquary-Chasse-with-Scenes-of-the-Martyrdom-of-Thomas-Becket-99.php

http://makinghistory.sal.org.uk/ajax.php?id=17&st=4_a_1&p=0#

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=46916&partId=1

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=168290001&objectId=46916&partId=1

One of the numerous Becket reliquary châsses made at Limoges in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries on loan from the Society of Antiquaries for London.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Britmusbecketreliquarychest.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Reliquary_casket_St_Thomas_Becket_BM_1878.1101.3.jpg/800px-Reliquary_casket_St_Thomas_Becket_BM_1878.1101.3.jpg

British Museum number 1878,1101.3 - Archived  

USA

Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College

87 North Main Street, Oberlin OH 44074

http://www.oberlin.edu/amam/French_MartyrdomofThomasBecket.htm
http://oberlin.edu/amam/images/1952.20.jpg

Glencairn Museum Pennsylvania

http://www.glencairnmuseum.org/newsletter-images/february-2012/13503811

Legion of Honor San Francisco

https://art.famsf.org/chasse-martyrdom-and-entombment-st-thomas-%C3%A0-becket-751878

https://art.famsf.org/sites/default/files/artwork//7737328100080019.jpg

Metropolitan Museum, New York

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/17.190.520

A Newly Discovered Reliquary of St. Thomas Becket
Thomas P. F. Hoving
Gesta,
Vol. 4 (Spring, 1965), pp. 28-30
The University of Chicago Press
International Center of Medieval Art
http://www.jstor.org/stable/766682

Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Ohio.
Plaque from a Chasse for Relics of Saint Thomas Becket

Others

The Dormeuil Collection Auction in Paris, 19th Nov 2007

Sotheby's

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.17.html/2007/the-dormeuil-collection-medieval-ivories-and-enamels-pf7082


Lot 9: Limoges, Circa 1200-1210 A Gilt Copper Champleve Chasse With The Martyrdom Of St. Thomas Becket.
Sculptures, Works of Art
by Sotheby's London, July 9, 2002

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/important-mobilier-sculptures-et-objets-dart/lot.9.html

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/the-dormeuil-collection-medieval-ivories-and-enamels-pf7082/lot.12.html

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2006/the-frits-philips-collection-am1025/lot.425.html

A gilt copper champleve enamel châsse with the martyrdom of st. thomas becket, Limoges, circa 1200-1210 lot Sotheby's

Mr Thomas Astles Reliquary - from Vetusta Monumenta 1789

The Front View of Mr Thomas Astles Reliquary/ 1789

The Back View of Mr Astles Reliquary/ 1789

From an early owner of the Becket casket present location not known.
Antique engraving from Vetusta Monumenta a series of illustrated antiquarian papers on ancient buildings, sites, and artefacts, mostly of Britain, published at irregular intervals between 1718 and 1906 by the Society of Antiquaries of London. Folio sized papers, usually authored by members of the society, published individually, then later in volumes, Drawn by Jacob Schnebbelie (1760–1792) an English draughtsman, specialising in monuments and historical subjects. Schnebbelie was born in Duke's Court, St. Martin's Lane, London, on 30 Aug. 1760 Through Lord Leicester, the president, Schnebbelie obtained appointment as draughtsman to the Society of Antiquaries of London; the majority of the second and third volumes of Vetusta Monumenta were drawn by him.. These prints were engraved by James Basire. This was also engraved by J carter Images 45 x 30 cm Single page E arly and accurate architectural studies at affordable prices £95 PAIR post inclusive ( rolled as too large to send flat unless a number are needed)

References

Treasures of Heaven. - YouTube Andrew Graham-Dixon BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012248j

Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the ancient Christian practice of preserving holy relics and the largely forgotten art form that went with it, the reliquary.

Chasses de saint Thomas Becket - Wikipédia

Bits of Becket - Paradox Place

Émail de Limoges - Wikipédia

Châsses saint Thomas Becket

http://www.limousin-medieval.com/#!chasses-saint-thomas-becket/c8q8

Narrative Art - PhD Thesis
http://www.medievalart.org.uk/PhD/Contents.html
http://www.medievalart.org.uk/PhD/Plates/8_06_Various_Thomas_Becket_Chests.jpg

Musée du Louvre; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) (1996). Enamels of Limoges: 1100-1350. Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 162–. ISBN 978-0-87099-758-7.

Les châsses reliquaires de Thomas Becket émaillées à Limoges: leur géographie historique. Societe archeologique et historique du Limousin. 1993.

Martine Yvernault. " Reading History in Enamel : The Journey of Thomas Becket's Experience from Canterbury to Limoges ", communication présentée lors du colloque organisé par le G.R.I.C. (Groupe de Recherche Identités et Cultures), " Canterbury : a Medieval City ", University du Havre, 12-13 mars 2009, in 

Catherine Royer-Hemet (2010). Canterbury: A Medieval City. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 137–. ISBN 978-1-4438-2608-2.

Cathedrals of southern France p. 111 

S. Caudron, "Les châsses reliquaires de Thomas Becket émaillées à Limoges", dans Bulletin de la Société archéologique et historique du Limousin, CXXI, 1993

Actes Du Colloque International de Sedieres. Editions Beauchesne. pp. 233–.

Britt-Marie Andersson (1980). Emaux limousins en Suède: les châsses, les croix. Almqvist & Wiksell.

Musée du Louvre; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) (1996). Enamels of Limoges: 1100-1350. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0-87099-758-7.

Limoges (France). Musée municipal (1999). Valérie et Thomas Becket: de l'influence des princes Plantagenêt dans l'œuvre de Limoges. Musée municipal de l'Évêché-Musée de l'émail. ISBN 978-2-9506813-6-2.

Extant Chasses

Anne Duggan (2007). Thomas Becket: Friends, Networks, Texts and Cult. Chapter IX footnote: Ashgate/Variorum. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-7546-5922-8
Becket Limoges Chasses known to be extant either on public view on in private collections number a total of 45

France - 11
Germany - 7
Austria - 2
Spain - 1
Belgium - 1
Holland - 1
Luxembourg - 1
Poland - 1
Sweden -1
Norway - 1
USA - 4
Switzerland - 3
Britain - 11

Plus another 23 Reliquary Caskets

Châsses saint Thomas Becket