Art Funded by you

The Becket Casket

Unknown artist, c1180

Limoges, The Becket Casket, c. 1180, Victoria and Albert Museum, Art Funded 1996

This casket is probably the earliest, largest and finest example of Limoges enamel depicting Becket's martyrdom.

Thomas Becket was murdered by four knights in the service of King Henry II who broke into Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. The murder is shown on the front, which also portrays the haloed soul of the saint being carried away above the altar. The sloping roof depicts the burial of the saint and the ascent of his haloed body to heaven.

The back of the casket depicts four saints or cardinal virtues, and on one side Christ in Majesty is seated on a rainbow. The casket was possibly made to contain relics of the saint. The casket was acquired for the nation after a vigorous campaign in which the Art Fund played a crucial role.

Limoges, The Becket Casket, c. 1180, Victoria and Albert Museum, Art Funded 1996

Follow the Becket Casket from the V&A to Peterborough Museum

Art historian and broadcaster Jacky Klein follows the journey of the Becket Casket from the Victoria & Albert Museum to Peterborough Museum in 2018 as part of the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund, a funding scheme that supports the wider sharing of national collections across the whole of the UK. The scheme is made possible through the generous support of the Garfield Weston Foundation.

More information

Title of artwork, date

The Becket Casket, c1180

Date supported

1996

Medium and material

Gilt-copper, rock crystal, enamel, oak

Dimensions

30.5 x 29.9 x 11.4 cm

Grant

100000

Total cost

4286038

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