reliquary of the True Cross, unknown maker from Barcelona, Crown of Aragon

A reliquary is a repository for a relic. This vessel at one time contained a splinter of wood believed to have come from the True Cross, the cross on which Christ was crucified. The design for this reliquary reflects the influence of Gothic architecture. The "windows" of the reliquary imitate the elaborate tracery patterns of contemporary Gothic windows. Even tiny gargoyles can be seen on the "roof." The pinnacle, which once supported a cross, was inspired by the pinnacles atop the towers and buttresses of Gothic cathedrals. The cross that would have been set in the slotted terminal was a "flowering cross" resembling processional crosses of the same period.

A reliquary is a container for a relic, or artifact from a deceased holy person. At one time, this vessel contained a splinter of wood believed to have come from the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Two attendant angels stand guard to watch over the relic once housed in this intricate container.