MATERIAL: Copper Alloy
DIMENSIONS: Width: 110mmHeight: 85mm
WEIGHT: 468 grams
NOTES: Provenance: UK private collection after 2000s. UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. Checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and certificate no. 11154-188069
See Abou-El-Haj, B., The Medieval Cult of Saints: Formations and Transformations, Cambridge, 1994; Bagnoli, M., et al., (eds.), Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe, Cleveland, 2010; Speakman, N.C., Treasures of Heaven, The British Museum, London, 2011.
Report
Copper-alloy Reliquary, Artophorion, Christian/Byzantine, circa 10th– 13th century
Dimensions: 85 mm Height, 110mm Width
Weight: 468 grams
Date examined: January 2026
Reference: B5126
A thin-wall cast miniature reliquary in the form of a domed Byzantine church, square in plan with a projecting baseplate and a central hemispherical dome surmounted by a cross finial above the entrance. While the exact purpose isn’t necessarily obvious, it was likely used as a container for relics or the sanctified host, in a liturgical context. It consists of three primary parts, the square main part shaped as a walled building, to which, it appears, is soldered a flat base plate, and, the domed roof, which appears to be riveted onto the main part’s two diagonally-opposing supporting lags on the inside, which give support.
The four façades are pierced by arched openings representing tall windows, which are accentuated by columns and framed by incised borders. On the four corners are stylised conical turrets with grooved detail. The inner hollow cavity is accessible through a large frontal archway.
There is no evidence that the reliquary had any type of movable lid or a hinged door-like cover. The surface is heavily patinated with uneven green-bluish patina and traces of oxidation, which appear to be consistent with age.
The object appears to have been professionally cleaned on the outside and then the surface was stabilised and conserved with some type of wax or varnish. The inside appears to have been left untouched, exhibiting uneven accretions of sand and soil, strongly suggestive of a prolonged burial context. In places, there are traces of iron rust, further suggesting a prolonged contact with an iron object which had rusted away.
The reliquary was examined under 10x hand-held loupe and under optical binocular microscope with variable magnification and angles of lighting.
It was cast in brass, composition below, using the lost-wax method. Then parts were subsequently finished by cold-working with engraving and polishing, then the object was assembled.
The object was tested with a hand-held X-Ray Fluorescence analyser, Spectro-X-Sort. The results were averaged and are below, in percent.
Cu 74.3; Zn 16.3 ; Pb 4.32 ; Sn 4.32 ; Fe 2.58 trace
The data should not be viewed as exhaustive but rather as a good guide to the general presence ofnconstituent elements and their relative amount. This reading should be regarded in the context of limitations of hand-held equipment as the results are from the immediate surface of the object only, which is patinated and dirtied with unspecified varnish, grime or wax products. The readings might differ if obtained from a solid inner metal sample core, which would require drilling and preparation of a test sample.
This copper-base alloy is technically leaded-brass, and is suggestive of a deliberate choice by the craftsman for casting thin objects. The deliberate presence of lead allows for better flow of molten metal, thus better filling the mould, it also reduces the melting point simplifying the casting process somewhat. A further advantage of this alloy is that it is relatively softer when solid, compare to both bronze and simple brass, which aids in the cold-working post-production.
Thin-wall brass casting is a sophisticated technique. However, it is far better attested in the Islamic context rather than in Byzantine’s, with numerous examples reliably dated to the late 11th - early 12th centuries, particularly from Khurasan and northern Mesopotamia. In general, our understanding of metallurgy from that historic period is far better documented from the Islamic milieu. This period saw advances in alloy recipes and improvements in casting techniques, which allowed to produce vessels and containers of remarkable lightness and precision. By the 13th century, brass objects had become a defining feature of Islamic craftsmanship, sustaining a tradition that continued through the Mamluk and into the early Ottoman periods, post-Byzantium. It would be mistaken not to think that it also must have left a tangible mark on the Byzantine and the broader Eastern-Christian metal production, as the contact and exchange through trade, gifts and shifting territorial reality between the Christian and the Muslim worlds certainly left a mark.
Conclusion
The purpose of this report is to establish whether the examined object exhibits any signs of deviation from the suggested stylistic/chronological/technical context. The analysis includes examination of methods of manufacture, tooling marks, material used, X-Ray fluorescence test, microscopical examination, stylistic parallels.
The type of church, represented here in miniature, namely a square building topped at the centre by a dome, the so-called “Cross-Square Church”, became the canonical type of Middle Byzantine architecture. In fact, in its turn, it even influenced the early Islamic architecture, for example:
“Mosque of Ibn Tulun”, Cairo, built in 879,
While there is some evidence that metal gilded crosses were placed on the domed roofs of some churches in the early 7th century, they truly only became universal in the 9th century, following the end of Iconoclasm. The absence of inscriptions or easily identifiable church attributes complicates precise identification of a specific edifice.
The broader tradition of liturgical containers in Byzantium is documented in metalwork. Reliquaries often took the form of crosses, chests or boxes with elaborate decoration, and were used to house fragments of saints’ relics or the Eucharist. Specifically, the term Artophorion “Αρτοφόριο” refers to a container for Eucharistic bread and is associated with Byzantine/Greek liturgy.
While not a very common object from the Middle Byzantine context, this reliquary nevertheless can be favorably compared to, for example:
“Artophorion” (Reliquary of St. Anastasios the Persian), Byzantine (Antioch) Date: ca. 969/70, Silver and silver gilt (repoussé), niello Aachener Dom, Schatzkammer, from the “Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe” 2011
-or –
“Base of a Cross 11th century”, The Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 1993.165, Copper alloy - leaded medium-tin bronze with a significant trace of zinc.
Broad innovations in metallurgy, beginning in particular under the influence of the Seljuks in the 10th century, improved technology of production and hardening of steel tools, making them more effective and allowing for a proficient use by artisans on durable metals, such as brass for grooved decoration on cold metal, as used to decorate in post-production here.
While not sufficiently attested from Byzantine territory, Khurasan on the other hand, with particularly the city of Herat, played an influential role in the blending of style and technology in the production of cast brass objects, starting several centuries earlier and culminating in the late 12th – early 13th centuries. The region is naturally rich in copper ore and in zinc-bearing ores, notably sphalerite, the two main constituents necessary for brass production by the process of cementation. The discussion on brass manufacturing by cementation will be omitted here as there is plenty of specialist literature on the subject. It is important to note that the highest zinc content in brass practically achievable by cementation is in the region of just under 30 percent.
In 1221, following the Mongol invasion and destruction of Herat, many artisans fled to the West, carrying their skills and artistic knowledge with them.
In the later part of the 13th century, under the Mamluks, a prominent metalworking industry developed in Cairo, catering to the court. At the same time Damascus, Aleppo and several other cities continued the tradition of brass production, even routinely catering to exports to Europe. Trade had always existed in the region. Furthermore, many craftsmen were of Christian faith and it is entirely plausible that they could have reached and settled in the eastern Byzantine provinces or produced items for Christian clients. Thus, the precise place and time of origin of this type of object is not likely to be established with certainty.
Both stylistically and technologically, the present reliquary represents a good example of manufacturing and artistic developments, attained gradually and in stages, but certainly by the 13th century, quite possibly by a merger of the Islamic casting methods with the Eastern Christian/Byzantine aesthetic.
At the time of examination and with the observations presented in this report, in the opinion of the author, this Artophorion can be favourably attributed to the Middle Byzantine historic context.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This report and the views expressed in it are based on the opinion of the author. Opinions regarding the age, technology and authenticity may vary. The testing results represent readings obtained from the equipment listed. This report does not prove authenticity, provenance, legality or ownership of the object(s) described. This is for guidance only and does not constitute a warranty. This report may not be reproduced without the permission of the author.
Igor Goro-Kovsky,
slowmetal@gmail.com
By appointment only
118 Baker Street, w1
London, 7 January 2026
See Abou-El-Haj, B., The Medieval Cult of Saints: Formations and Transformations, Cambridge, 1994; Bagnoli, M., et al., (eds.), Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe, Cleveland, 2010; Speakman, N.C., Treasures of Heaven, The British Museum, London, 2011.
Report
Copper-alloy Reliquary, Artophorion, Christian/Byzantine, circa 10th– 13th century
Dimensions: 85 mm Height, 110mm Width
Weight: 468 grams
Date examined: January 2026
Reference: B5126
A thin-wall cast miniature reliquary in the form of a domed Byzantine church, square in plan with a projecting baseplate and a central hemispherical dome surmounted by a cross finial above the entrance. While the exact purpose isn’t necessarily obvious, it was likely used as a container for relics or the sanctified host, in a liturgical context. It consists of three primary parts, the square main part shaped as a walled building, to which, it appears, is soldered a flat base plate, and, the domed roof, which appears to be riveted onto the main part’s two diagonally-opposing supporting lags on the inside, which give support.
The four façades are pierced by arched openings representing tall windows, which are accentuated by columns and framed by incised borders. On the four corners are stylised conical turrets with grooved detail. The inner hollow cavity is accessible through a large frontal archway.
There is no evidence that the reliquary had any type of movable lid or a hinged door-like cover. The surface is heavily patinated with uneven green-bluish patina and traces of oxidation, which appear to be consistent with age.
The object appears to have been professionally cleaned on the outside and then the surface was stabilised and conserved with some type of wax or varnish. The inside appears to have been left untouched, exhibiting uneven accretions of sand and soil, strongly suggestive of a prolonged burial context. In places, there are traces of iron rust, further suggesting a prolonged contact with an iron object which had rusted away.
The reliquary was examined under 10x hand-held loupe and under optical binocular microscope with variable magnification and angles of lighting.
It was cast in brass, composition below, using the lost-wax method. Then parts were subsequently finished by cold-working with engraving and polishing, then the object was assembled.
The object was tested with a hand-held X-Ray Fluorescence analyser, Spectro-X-Sort. The results were averaged and are below, in percent.
Cu 74.3; Zn 16.3 ; Pb 4.32 ; Sn 4.32 ; Fe 2.58 trace
The data should not be viewed as exhaustive but rather as a good guide to the general presence ofnconstituent elements and their relative amount. This reading should be regarded in the context of limitations of hand-held equipment as the results are from the immediate surface of the object only, which is patinated and dirtied with unspecified varnish, grime or wax products. The readings might differ if obtained from a solid inner metal sample core, which would require drilling and preparation of a test sample.
This copper-base alloy is technically leaded-brass, and is suggestive of a deliberate choice by the craftsman for casting thin objects. The deliberate presence of lead allows for better flow of molten metal, thus better filling the mould, it also reduces the melting point simplifying the casting process somewhat. A further advantage of this alloy is that it is relatively softer when solid, compare to both bronze and simple brass, which aids in the cold-working post-production.
Thin-wall brass casting is a sophisticated technique. However, it is far better attested in the Islamic context rather than in Byzantine’s, with numerous examples reliably dated to the late 11th - early 12th centuries, particularly from Khurasan and northern Mesopotamia. In general, our understanding of metallurgy from that historic period is far better documented from the Islamic milieu. This period saw advances in alloy recipes and improvements in casting techniques, which allowed to produce vessels and containers of remarkable lightness and precision. By the 13th century, brass objects had become a defining feature of Islamic craftsmanship, sustaining a tradition that continued through the Mamluk and into the early Ottoman periods, post-Byzantium. It would be mistaken not to think that it also must have left a tangible mark on the Byzantine and the broader Eastern-Christian metal production, as the contact and exchange through trade, gifts and shifting territorial reality between the Christian and the Muslim worlds certainly left a mark.
Conclusion
The purpose of this report is to establish whether the examined object exhibits any signs of deviation from the suggested stylistic/chronological/technical context. The analysis includes examination of methods of manufacture, tooling marks, material used, X-Ray fluorescence test, microscopical examination, stylistic parallels.
The type of church, represented here in miniature, namely a square building topped at the centre by a dome, the so-called “Cross-Square Church”, became the canonical type of Middle Byzantine architecture. In fact, in its turn, it even influenced the early Islamic architecture, for example:
“Mosque of Ibn Tulun”, Cairo, built in 879,
While there is some evidence that metal gilded crosses were placed on the domed roofs of some churches in the early 7th century, they truly only became universal in the 9th century, following the end of Iconoclasm. The absence of inscriptions or easily identifiable church attributes complicates precise identification of a specific edifice.
The broader tradition of liturgical containers in Byzantium is documented in metalwork. Reliquaries often took the form of crosses, chests or boxes with elaborate decoration, and were used to house fragments of saints’ relics or the Eucharist. Specifically, the term Artophorion “Αρτοφόριο” refers to a container for Eucharistic bread and is associated with Byzantine/Greek liturgy.
While not a very common object from the Middle Byzantine context, this reliquary nevertheless can be favorably compared to, for example:
“Artophorion” (Reliquary of St. Anastasios the Persian), Byzantine (Antioch) Date: ca. 969/70, Silver and silver gilt (repoussé), niello Aachener Dom, Schatzkammer, from the “Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe” 2011
-or –
“Base of a Cross 11th century”, The Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 1993.165, Copper alloy - leaded medium-tin bronze with a significant trace of zinc.
Broad innovations in metallurgy, beginning in particular under the influence of the Seljuks in the 10th century, improved technology of production and hardening of steel tools, making them more effective and allowing for a proficient use by artisans on durable metals, such as brass for grooved decoration on cold metal, as used to decorate in post-production here.
While not sufficiently attested from Byzantine territory, Khurasan on the other hand, with particularly the city of Herat, played an influential role in the blending of style and technology in the production of cast brass objects, starting several centuries earlier and culminating in the late 12th – early 13th centuries. The region is naturally rich in copper ore and in zinc-bearing ores, notably sphalerite, the two main constituents necessary for brass production by the process of cementation. The discussion on brass manufacturing by cementation will be omitted here as there is plenty of specialist literature on the subject. It is important to note that the highest zinc content in brass practically achievable by cementation is in the region of just under 30 percent.
In 1221, following the Mongol invasion and destruction of Herat, many artisans fled to the West, carrying their skills and artistic knowledge with them.
In the later part of the 13th century, under the Mamluks, a prominent metalworking industry developed in Cairo, catering to the court. At the same time Damascus, Aleppo and several other cities continued the tradition of brass production, even routinely catering to exports to Europe. Trade had always existed in the region. Furthermore, many craftsmen were of Christian faith and it is entirely plausible that they could have reached and settled in the eastern Byzantine provinces or produced items for Christian clients. Thus, the precise place and time of origin of this type of object is not likely to be established with certainty.
Both stylistically and technologically, the present reliquary represents a good example of manufacturing and artistic developments, attained gradually and in stages, but certainly by the 13th century, quite possibly by a merger of the Islamic casting methods with the Eastern Christian/Byzantine aesthetic.
At the time of examination and with the observations presented in this report, in the opinion of the author, this Artophorion can be favourably attributed to the Middle Byzantine historic context.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This report and the views expressed in it are based on the opinion of the author. Opinions regarding the age, technology and authenticity may vary. The testing results represent readings obtained from the equipment listed. This report does not prove authenticity, provenance, legality or ownership of the object(s) described. This is for guidance only and does not constitute a warranty. This report may not be reproduced without the permission of the author.
Igor Goro-Kovsky,
slowmetal@gmail.com
By appointment only
118 Baker Street, w1
London, 7 January 2026
ITEM ID: 5853
