The Holy Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry

Jean, duc de Berry spared no expense for this dazzling reliquary containing a thorn from the Crown of Thorns.

The Holy Thorn Reliquary, 1390–97 (created for Jean, duc de Berry), enameled gold, sapphires, rubies, pearls, rock crystal, thorn, 30.5 x 15 x 7 cm (The British Museum, London). Speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker

Title The Holy Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry
Artist(s) Unrecorded artist
Dates 1390–97
Places Europe / Western Europe / France
Period, Culture, Style Renaissance / Northern Renaissance / Burgundian
Artwork Type Sculpture
Material Gold, Glass, Gems, Rock crystal
Technique Enameling , Inlay

This work at the British Museum

Martina Bagnoli, Holger Klein, C. Griffith Mann, James Robinson, editors, Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe, exhibition catalogue (Baltimore: The Walters Art Museum, 2011).

John Cherry, The Holy Thorn Reliquary (London: British Museum, 2010).

Cite this page as: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, "The Holy Thorn Reliquary of Jean, duc de Berry," in Smarthistory, February 23, 2024, accessed February 18, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/the-holy-thorn-reliquary-of-jean-duc-de-berry/.