Reliquary of Saint John the Baptist

The head of a saintly bearded man with curly short hair, half-open mouth, and closed eyes rests on the dish, surrounded by a wreath of rays. On top of the head, there is a round glazed window through which the relics can be seen. The surface of the saint’s severed neck is covered with a mosaic of radially arranged rubies. On the collar of the dish, there is an engraved inscription in minuscule: “Sancte iohanes baptista ora pro nobis deum.” On the reverse of the dish, there is an engraved inscription: “Agnosce Effigiem Natorum Maximus Ecce Praecursor Domini Sanctis Baptista Joannes.” In the rim: “Ex voto Quidam fidelis Christi et Baptista f. f. Anno Domini m.dc.xi.” Below is the founder’s coat of arms with a jewel and the initials R P K.

The reliquary, funded by the cathedral canon Piotr Kozłowski, was created during the reign of Bishop Charles Habsburg (1608-1624) and contains the relics of St. John the Baptist’s skull, brought to Wrocław from the collegiate church in Vyšehrad in 1428. It was made by one of the most outstanding artists in the history of Wrocław goldsmithing, Caspar Pfister.