The Stavelot Reliquary: Detail, the exhumation of the True Cross
Circa 1156
Champlevé and cloisonné on copper gilt
Morgan Library, New York
This is the topmost medallion on the inner face of the left panel. Identified by her crown and halo, St. Helena orders the man with the mattock where to dig. The man wears a medieval "Jew's cap." In the foreground and background are the three crosses that were discovered during the dig.
View the entire reliquary.
Read more about images of St. Helena.
