Phylactery of a tooth of Saint André

The saint’s relic is held beneath an oval rock crystal cabochon set in the middle of a diamond-shaped piece of silver. An inscription engraved on the sides identifies it. The work is decorated with precious stones that were certainly donated to the Priory of Oignies by Jacques de Vitry. On the reverse side, Saint Andrew is holding a sacred book and a cross symbolising his martyrdom. The differences in style – the saint’s head for instance – suggest that several people were involved in making the work.

A phylactery is a reliquary, whose origin lies in the Greek word that designated the amulet that Christians in the Orient liked to wear around their neck.