This is a magnificent study of the beautifully crafted Medieval reliquaries that enshrined holy relics, and their wider historical, cultural, political and religious context. It is published in conjunction with Walters Art Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art to accompany a major touring exhibition, at the British Museum 23 June 9 October 2011. There is no equivalent book on this fascinating subject.

It is an important reference work drawing on the latest scholarship, which will be of value far beyond the exhibition. Drawing on three major museum holdings as well as featuring iconic pieces from other international public and private collections, this richly illustrated book looks at the phenomenon of holy relics in the Middle Ages. Thematic essays and object entries by leading scholars trace the history and development of the cult of relics, from its beginnings in late Roman funerary practices to its rise in both the Byzantine East and the West.