Religious Figures

In the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, images and objects commemorating holy personages were important parts of religious life. Key Christian figures like Jesus, Mary, and the Saints were widely venerated, and physical artifacts, artwork, and relics were associated with these figures and their veneration. There were objects that had both a decorative and liturgical function, like reliquaries and objects associated with the mass. Other artworks and objects simply served as means of communicating the story of the religious figure’s life. Examples of these religiously oriented commemorative objects include the badge made for pilgrims headed to Thomas Becket’s shrine at Canterbury and the Swiss calendar with Zwingli’s teachings.

However, religious commemorative objects did not always commemorate specific events or people; sometimes, religious objects represented important religious beliefs and ideals. For examples, see the lamp with the cruciform handle and the liturgical vestment.