Treasures of Heaven

The British Museum has assembled an overwhelming array of relics (or rather reliquaries) from Roman times to the Reformation and beyond. The focus is on medieval objects that illustrate the Christian tradition of relic veneration. There are indeed treasures aplenty, from weighty sarcophagi to a tiny ivory casket carved with scenes from the life of Christ, along with outlandish items such as a silver sleeve believed to be a reliquary of the arm of St George. (MC)