Reference no: EM133808158 , Length: Words Count:150
Assignment:
The Gothic period was obsessed with relics (sacred remains or artifacts associated with the founding figures of Christianity, including Christ, the Apostles, and early martyrs/saints). During the Gothic period, the decorative containers for these relics (reliquaries) became incredibly elaborate.
I want you to look at a wonderful reconstruction of a medieval reliquary at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The reliquary is currently missing the arm bone of Saint Valentine (once held in the niche at the bottom of the sculpture), as well as some of the gold latticework that decorated the top and bottom of the same niche.
Use the Sketchfab viewer to explore the 3D model.. 150 words, I want you to describe how the reliquary presents the bone as a sacred object. How do the materials and pose of the arm influence your reaction? Would you have the same reaction if you were just looking at the arm bone, without the reliquary?
For many centuries, pilgrims in search of romance would travel to reliquaries of Saint Valentine, hoping his blessing would give them a shot at true love. How do you think a think a love-starved pilgrim in 1350 would feel, seeing this reliquary after a long journey?