Object in Focus: The Holy Thorn Reliquary

Made in gold and enamel and decorated with precious stones, the Holy Thorn Reliquary depicts the salvation of mankind through the sacrifice of Christ. It was commissioned around 1400-10 by Jean, duc de Berry, a member of the French royal family, to house a single thorn from the relic of Christ''s Crown of Thorns. This well illustrated book explores the history and meaning of this masterpiece and tells the tale of its remarkable survival and eventual passage to the British Museum as part of the Waddesdon bequest.