Becket Casket

The Becket Casket depicts one of the most infamous events in English history. On the night of 29 December 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury cathedral by four knights obeying the wishes of King Henry II. It provoked outrage throughout Europe, and pilgrims flocked to Canterbury to pray at the site of the murder. In 1173 Becket was canonized and his shrine was one of the most famous in the Christian world, until its total destruction in 1538 during the reign of Henry VIII.

Relics of St Thomas were widely dispersed in the years following his death. Many were placed in caskets made in Limoges in south-west France. This was the centre for the production of objects in champlevé enamel, which is characterized by brilliant blues, colourful rosettes and boldly engraved figures. This casket is the most elaborate, the largest and possibly the earliest in date.

The scene of the martyrdom is shown on the front, where one of the knights decapitates Becket in front of the altar, while on the sloping roof the archbishop's funeral is depicted. On the back are four saints and at the one end Christ is seated on a rainbow. The other end, which may have shown St Peter, is missing, as is the floor of the casket and its contents.

Bibliography

Jackson, Anna (ed.) V&A: A Hundred Highlights (V&A Publications, 2001)