UNKNOWN GOLDSMITH, French
(active c. 1156 in Meuse Valley)

Stavelot Triptych

1156-58
Enamel, copper and silver gilt, 48 x 32 x 8 cm (closed)
The Morgan Library and Museum, New York

The Stavelot Triptych is a medieval reliquary intended to protect, honour and display pieces of the True Cross. It was created by Mosan goldsmiths (working in the valley of the Meuse River) around 1156 at Stavelot Abbey in present-day Belgium.

The Triptych is a three-part winged shrine. In such a triptych, the outer wings protect (when swung shut) the middle section, which contains two smaller triptychs, each containing pieces of the True Cross.