Reliquary Casket of Saints Adrian and Natalia

1100–50

This rare casket, fashioned like a miniature tomb complete with Romanesque columns, was made to contain the relics of Saint Adrian, patron saint of soldiers and protector against the plague. A Roman officer charged with persecuting Christians, Adrian so admired the virtues of those he oppressed that he converted. After declaring himself a Christian, Adrian was arrested and brutally martyred in the early fourth century.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

León, Spain

Date

1100–50

Medium

Silver and oak core

Dimensions

15.9 × 25.4 × 14.5 cm (6 1/4 × 10 × 5 3/4 in.)

Origin

Spain

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Kate S. Buckingham Endowment