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Secondary sourceArtifactc. 1180

Reliquary Casket of Saint Thomas Becket

c. 1180

A Limoges enamel chasse from around 1180 made to hold relics of Becket, showing his murder and the laying out of his body.

This reliquary, one of many made to hold Becket's relics, shows his murder and the enduring cult that grew around him.

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Gilt copper-alloy casket with blue enamel panels on a grey surface. The front panel shows four armed figures in tunics and a robed figure with a halo, one raising a sword. The lid shows a figure lying on a bier with mourners.
Reliquary casket of Thomas Becket, Limoges enamel, c. 1180. British Museum, London (on loan from the Society of Antiquaries of London).

About this source

What it is

This gilt copper-alloy and enamel casket was made in Limoges around 1180 to hold relics of Thomas Becket. Its front panel shows armed men attacking a haloed figure with a raised sword, and its lid shows a body laid on a bier surrounded by mourners. It is held on loan from the Society of Antiquaries of London at the British Museum. Many similar reliquaries survive in museums and churches across Europe and the United States.

Why it matters

Caskets like this were produced in large numbers soon after Becket's murder, showing how quickly his death turned into a widely shared story of martyrdom across medieval Christendom. That so many survived the religious changes of the Reformation, which destroyed many English shrines, shows how strongly his memory persisted.

Look closer

  • What details in the enamel work tell the story of the murder to someone who could not read?
  • Why do you think so many similar caskets were made?
  • What does the survival of objects like this across so many countries tell us about Becket's fame?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Becket on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Canterbury Cathedral

founded 597

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Secondary source

Becket Casket

c. 1180-1190

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Secondary source

Fermo Chasuble of St. Thomas Becket

12th century

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Secondary source

Becket Liturgical Garments, Sens Cathedral

12th century

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