tour 6 of 15
Enlightenment: The Birth of Archaeology
Becket casket
This
reliquary
once held some of the remains of Archbishop Thomas à Becket, who
was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. Becket was made a
saint three years later, after which his relics were distributed
throughout Europe. At least forty caskets were made in precious
Limoges enamel to house them. This one depicts Becket's
murder and entombment. The renowned
antiquary
and collector Sir William
Hamilton found it while he was travelling in
Naples and presented it to the Society of Antiquaries in
1801.
The Society of
Antiquaries had been founded in 1717 and was devoted to the study
of the history of Britian. It did, however, share many interests
and members with the Royal
Society. For instance, Martin Folkes
(1690-1754), a wealthy numismatist, was President of both
societies. But by the time the Society of Antiquaries was granted
its Royal Charter in 1751, their respective historical and
scientific interests had become established. By the end of the
eighteenth century, the members of the Society of Antiquaries were
mainly interested in medieval antiquities and history, of which
this casket was a fine example. It was common for members to
present items like this to the Society's
collection.
