Drawing together an array of treasured objects from collections throughout Europe and the United States, this beautifully illustrated volume examines the medieval cult of relics-the physical remains of holy men and women, and things associated with them. Relics connected the Christian faithful with sacred places and people who died as martyrs of their faith. Believed to contain the same power that had animated saints during their lifetimes, relics bridged the gap between heaven and earth; to signal their sacred nature, medieval artists fashioned special containers for relics in precious materials and encrusted them with gems. Enshrined in the altars of churches and used in the liturgy as well as in public rituals, relics functioned as objects of public and private devotion, carried home from pilgrimages to the Holy Land and sites throughout Europe or worn on the body as protective amulets enclosed in rings or pendants. In essays and catalogue entries, an international group of...