page_title: Reliquary with the Tooth of Saint John the Baptist
section_title: Reliquaries
hierarchical_section_title: Reliquary with the Tooth of Saint John the Baptist / Reliquaries
caption_attribution_description: Exhibit in the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. This artwork is in the public domain because the artist died more than 70 years ago. Photography was permitted in the museum without restriction.
context_page_description: The Reliquary with the Tooth of Saint John the Baptist is a piece from the Guelph Treasure that is owned and displayed by the Art Institute of Chicago.
context_section_description: A reliquary is a container that holds a relic. A relic is a part of a person, object, or natural material that is considered sacred or religiously significant. Relics may be things such as the bones of saints or holy soil. A reliquary's content is thought to give it sacred power. In Medieval Europe, reliquary objects were believed to have various powers of blessing and protection, depending on their contents. Multiple religions have been known to utilize reliquaries. 
  
  The contents of a variety of reliquaries have been attributed to John the Baptist, including arm bones, finger bones, and skull fragments. The authenticity of these reliquaries is questioned as there are some duplicates. For example, two right arms have been attributed to John the Baptist.
  
  The Art Institute of Chicago owns a collection of reliquary objects that are displayed alongside the Tooth Reliquary, including reliquary caskets from Spain and France, along with three other objects from the Guelph Treasure.
caption: Reliquary with Tooth of Saint John the Baptist (Art Institute of Chicago)
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