MASTER ALPAIS
(active 1180-1200 in Limoges)

Reliquary of Thomas Becket

1180s
Enameled and gilt copper in wood, 21 x 20 x 9 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

This reliquary is a product of the workshop in Limoges, where 32 reliquaries were made for the saint, highly revered in the western cathedrals of France. On its side the scene of the murder of saint is represented, while the cover depicts his entombment.