|
A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'' or by the French term ''châsse'') is a container for relics. These may be the purported or actual physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures. The authenticity of any given relic is often a matter of debate; for that reason, some churches require documentation of the relic's provenance. Relics have long been important to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and many other religions.〔"Two Gandhāran Reliquaries" K. Walton Dobbins. ''East and West'', 18 (1968), pp. 151–162.〕〔''The Stūpa and Vihāra of Kanishka I''. K. Walton Dobbins. (1971) The Asiatic Society of Bengal Monograph Series, Vol. XVIII. Calcutta.〕〔"Is the Kaniṣka Reliquary a work from Mathurā?" Mirella Levi d’Ancona. ''Art Bulletin'', Vol. 31, No. 4 (Dec., 1949), pp. 321–323.〕 In these cultures, reliquaries are often presented in shrines, churches, or temples to which the faithful make pilgrimages in order to gain blessings. In Central West Africa, reliquaries used in the Bwete rituals contain objects considered magical, or the bones of ancestors, and are commonly constructed with a guardian figure attached to the reliquary. The term is sometimes used loosely of containers for the body parts of non-religious figures; in particular the Kings of France often specified that their hearts and sometimes other organs be buried in a different location from their main burial. ==In Christianity== The use of reliquaries became an important part of Christian practices from at least the 4th century, initially in the Eastern church, which adopted the practice of moving and dividing the bodies of saints much earlier than the West, probably in part because the new capital of Constantinople, unlike Rome, lacked buried saints. Relics are venerated in the Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and some Anglican Churches. Reliquaries provide a means of protecting and displaying relics. While frequently taking the form of caskets,〔 they range in size from simple pendants or rings to very elaborate ossuaries. Since the relics themselves were considered "more valuable than precious stones and more to be esteemed than gold," 〔Quote from the 'Martyrdom of St Polycarp' (2nd Century AD ) ()〕 it was only appropriate that they be enshrined containers crafted of or covered with gold, silver, gems, and enamel.〔(Boehm, Barbara Drake. "Relics and Reliquaries in Medieval Christianity". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art,(October 2001) )〕 Ivory was widely used in the Middle Ages for reliquaries; its pure white color an indication of the holy status of its contents.〔(Speakman, Naomi C., "Treasures of Heaven", The British Museum, London, 2011 )〕 These objects constituted a major form of artistic production across Europe and Byzantium throughout the Middle Ages. Many were designed with portability in mind, often being exhibited in public or carried in procession on the saint's feast day or on other holy days. Pilgrimages often centered around the veneration of relics. The faithful often venerate relics by bowing before the reliquary or kissing it. Those churches which observe the veneration of relics make a clear distinction between the honor given to the saints and the worship that is due to God alone (see Second Council of Nicea). The ''feretrum'' was a medieval form of reliquary or shrine containing the sacred effigies and relics of a saint. In the late Middle Ages the craze for relics, many now fraudulent, became extreme, and was criticized by many otherwise conventional churchmen. 16th-century reformers such as Martin Luther opposed the use of relics since many had no proof of historic authenticity, and they objected to the cult of saints. Many reliquaries, particularly in northern Europe, were destroyed by Calvinists or Calvinist sympathizers during the Reformation, being melted down or pulled apart to recover precious metals and gems. Nonetheless, the use and manufacture of reliquaries continues to this day, especially in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian countries. Post-Reformation reliquaries have tended to take the form of glass-sided caskets to display relics such as the bodies of saints. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「reliquary」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|