Chasse

genre 12th-13th century France Europe

A chasse is a reliquary casket shaped like a house or church, with a sloping roof and gabled ends, made to hold the bones of a saint. The best known are the enamelled chasses of Limoges, produced in huge numbers from the later 12th to the 13th century in champlevé enamel on gilded copper: scenes from the lives of saints - journeys, miracles, martyrdoms - fill the panels in jewel-colored registers beneath arcades. Some were wrought in silver or ivory, and the finest church treasuries across Europe prized them. As a form the chasse endured through the Gothic period, its narrative panels a compact encyclopedia of medieval devotion and workshop practice.

Reliquary with the journey of the Three Wise Men and the adoration of Christ. Engraved, chased, enameled and gilt champlevé copper, Limoges,
Reliquary with the journey of the Three Wise Men and the adoration of Christ. Engraved, chased, enameled and gilt champlevé copper, Limoges,CC BY 2.5 · source

Defining characteristics

  • House-shaped casket with sloping roof, gabled ends, and corner columns
  • Champlevé enamel on gilded copper in jewel-like blues, greens and yellows
  • Narrative registers of saints' lives beneath architectural arcades
  • Engraved and filigree metal detail; feet and mounts in cast copper
  • Compact, densely populated storytelling panels

Example works

  • Reliquary with the Journey of the Three Kings — Unknown (Limoges workshop)

Sources

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