Treasures of Heaven : saints, relics and devotion in medieval Europe edited by Martina Bagnoli ... [et al.]. This beautifully illustrated volume examines the medieval cult of relics – The veneration of the physical remains of holy men and women and the artifacts associated with them. Describing the role that relics played in the development of the visual arts from Byzantium to Western Christendom, the book also follows the story of relics and reliquaries in the wake of the Crusades, the Reformation and the French Revolution. Relics were believed to possess the same power that had animated the saints while they were alive; they bridged the gap between heaven and earth, connecting the faithful with the virtuous who had died, often as martyrs. Medieval craftsmen created elaborate reliquaries to enshrine them using precious materials encrusted with gems, to reflect the sacredness of the objects within. Used in the liturgy and in public rituals, relics became the focus of pilgrimages, but they also functioned as objects of private devotion, enclosed in rings or pendants and worn on the body as protective amulets. Tracing the making of reliquaries from the earliest days of Christianity to the close of the Middle Ages, Treasures of Heaven explores how medieval artists invented new ways to express the power of sacred remains. Celebrated pieces such as the beautifully ornate reliquary for the rib of St. Peter, signed by the Goldsmith Hugo d'Oignies, and the dramatic silver-gift reliquary head of St. Eustace are shown with smaller, intimate examples like the pendant for the Holy Thorn, made from amethyst, gold and translucent enamel for Philippe VI and Jeanne de Bourgogne. Drawing together objects from the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore and the British Museum, as well as from collections throughout Europe and the United States, Treasures from Heaven sheds new light on some 140 extraordinary pieces, including precious metalwork, paintings, sculptures and illuminated manuscripts. It provides a fascinating insight into the iconography of saints and an introduction to a vast array of treasures still venerated today by Christians across the world.