South German, Probably Augsburg, Late 16th Century

Comprised of an ornate, architectural wooden frame and filled with gilt bronze reliefs, the present reliquary is a typical example of the house altars and other devotional items that were being produced in South Germany, particularly in Augsburg during the Renaissance. The design of the central gilt-copper relief is based on a composition by the Italian artist, Moderno Galeazzo, whose works was frequently adopted by Northern artists and features on pax and house altars.

The size of this altar would have allowed its audience to have a more intimate devotional experience and could have been installed as a part of an altar in a home or chapel.