A study on the "Libretto," a portable French royal reliquary

• Published in: Bijutsushi Vol. 65; no. 179
• Main Author: Ota, Izumi Florence
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: 01.10.2015

The reliquary of the Passion of the Christ and various saints, called "Libretto" due to its tiny dimensions and its form, is a precious reliquary ordered by the French king Charles V (1364-80) and presented as a gift to his brother, Louis I, duke of Anjou. This reliquary is a metal work made in Paris in the later 14th century. It consists of a small foldable polyptych of gold with six wings set with eight pearls, six balase rubies, and decorated with enamel works. The back of the central panel bears an enameled inscription about the sequence of the donation and the contents. It contains 19 relics from the Passion and 72 relics of various saints. After the death of the duke, the reliquary was long missing, but in 1465 it was listed among the possessions of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici. Now we can see it in the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore enclosed in another reliquary, "Tempietto." [Abridged Publication Abstract]