Located in Norwich Castle Museum’s excellent Gallery of Medieval Life is this reliquary, although the backing plate has fallen off and the relic lost. This was created between 1475 and 1500 and was at a time where the number of relics on the market had reached a ridiculous level, a situation not helped by the corrupt Catholic Church. Even as the church desperately defended itself as the Reformation spread across Europe, they still couldn’t bring themselves at the Council of Trent to end the veneration of relics.
But, I digress. This likely held a relic owned by St. Anthony and the reliquary is made from gold and is highlighted with black enamel. It was found between 1850 and 1852 by “a waggon driver who was pulling into a gateway” although I’m not entirely sure I understand that sentence from the information panel in the museum but elsewhere the museum says the driver “found it in a puddle” which is rather more relatable.
Matlaske is a village pretty much in the middle of nowhere in north Norfolk, located halfway between Holt and Aylsham. Richard and I visited the village’s church there a few years ago and rather lovely the building was too…. Anyway, it’s a beautiful reliquary and I wonder whether the owner popped into the village church in the late 1400s or the early 1500s with their new acquisition.