Halberstadt Reliquary

I'm planning to do a version of this German, 13th Century reliquary hanging. I will not be making a religious item and plan to fashion a reliquary suitable for the Kingdom of An Tir although I have not quite decided what will be saved behind the protective Horn Plates.

height: 29 cm (without tassel), width: 26 cm

This piece is housed and displayed in the Halberstadt Cathedral. There are no color images of it to be found on the Internet. I did get a fuzzy print screen image from their 360 tour.

I wrote to the Museum and requested a high resolution electronic image.  They sent me one with the caveat that I not share the image and when I am finished with using it, I must delete it from my electronic records. I was given permission to include a printed version in written documentation for any Arts and Sciences competition or display that I might enter it in.

The item is published and the description (translated from German) reads:

"On the formerly bright red silk scarf are 30 sewn on Hornplattchen. The hornplattchen cover particles of saints as well as relics of stations of the Passion Christi, with readable authentics.

Fine beads from various materials surround each hornplate: real Beads, small tubes and pearls of gold-plated silver as well as light and dark glass beads. Along the edges of the cloth Perlschnйre. The loops are laid to loops, the larger pearls bordered by red balls. Other beads and silver plated tubes accompany the outside of the cloth. The spaces between the hornplattchen are by filled semiprecious stones and Glasfliisse in simple, silver-gilt settings.

The center of the cloth is a representation of the crucified Christ with Mary and John. The figures are in semi-relief Silver-plated and gilded."

Also translated from German is this information about Materials and Technique:

"Red silk taffeta over parchment sheet; hornplattchen; authentics on parchment; beading; river pearls, red coral, light and dark blue glass, gilded silver beads; pelief, fassugen and tubes of gilded silver; stones; amethyst, sapphires, colorful cabouchons made of rock crystal and glass."

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All of the materials for this piece have been sourced except for; the bezel and plate for the stones, the backing parchment, and the appropriate base fabric.

Close-up of base fabric

I can't decide if I should make the piece on this cream color base fabric or on the original red. From the high quality image, you cannot tell that the fabric was originally red, nor what version of red it might have been. I did purchase a 1/2 yard of very lightweight silk taffeta on-line with the thought that I could dye it with madder. However, the fabric turned out to be so very fine that I don't think it will be heavy enough.

My purchase

Another view of my purchase

I should be on the lookout or shopping for the fabric, but right now, I'm not sure what I should be looking for. I will need to seek advice from some of my friendly fabric gurus.

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Originally, there were 46 stones / gems sewn on.  Many of them are missing, but you can still see the impressions of where they were. They are mounted like this:

Close-up of stone mounting

The stones I have gathered are a bit misshapen and I may mount them differently in a style that is within the same time-period, but may be a bit more stable, like this

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The Hornplattchen (Horn Plates) are transparent, approx 1" squares of horn.

Close-up of Horn Plate

I have a large horn sitting in water, needing to be cut and split into transparent sheets. My husband and I will be working on the horn. We need to read up a bit more on technique before we get started splitting.

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When I have found and purchased the base fabric, I will start working on this piece.