Reliquary of St. Thekla in the Princeton University Art Museum, April 2017

German

Place made: Germany

Reliquary of Saint Thekla, late 15th–early 16th century

Wood with polychromy

51.3 x 35.0 x 21.6 cm (20 3/16 x 13 3/4 x 8 1/2 in.)

Gift of Alastair B. Martin, Class of 1938

y1954-127

Gallery Label:

This bust reliquary of Saint Thekla might have housed a relic from her upper body or simply reflected the active presence of the saint. Thekla holds her instruments of torture-a column with flames licking at its base and a lioness. Saint Paul converted Thekla, a young pagan woman from Iconium (in modern-day Turkey). Condemned to death when she refused to renounce her faith, she was taken to the arena to be burned at the stake. A miraculous thunderstorm saved her from the flames. After joining Paul in his mission, she was sentenced to be thrown to wild beasts in the arena at Antioch. The lioness sent to attack her sat tamely at her feet; when a bear was released to kill the saint, the lioness protected her.


Text from: artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/24576