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{{Short description|Reliquary of the Biblical Magi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Main|Cologne Cathedral}}
[[Image:Cologne Cathedral Shrine of Magi.jpg|thumb|The Shrine of the Three Kings in [[Cologne Cathedral]]]]
[[Image:Dreikönigenschrein köln.JPG|thumb|Another view]]
[[File:KohlnDomCaraballo2024Threewisemagi.jpg|thumb|Shrine of the Three Kings Köln]]
The '''Shrine of the Three Kings'''<ref name=":1">Ciresi, Lisa Victoria (2003, English), ''A liturgical study of the Shrine of the three kings in Cologne''; Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University in association with Princeton University Press; {{ISBN|0-691-11539-7|0-691-11538-9}}; Princeton, New Jersey; 2003; in re Conference: Objects, images, and the word: art in the service of the liturgy.</ref> (German ''Dreikönigsschrein''<ref>{{Citation |last=Kremer |first=Bruno P. |title=Wenige Tage nach Weihnachten – Die Heiligen Drei Könige kommen |date=2017 |work=Weihnachtsbaum und Osterhase : Unsere Jahresfeste – biologisch betrachtet |pages=17–33 |editor-last=Kremer |editor-first=Bruno P. |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-54769-4_2 |access-date=29 January 2023 |place=Berlin, Heidelberg |publisher=Springer |language=de |doi=10.1007/978-3-662-54769-4_2 |isbn=978-3-662-54769-4|url-access=subscription }}</ref> or ''Der Dreikönigenschrein''),<ref>Boch, Clemens (2012, German); ''Der Dreikönigenschrein im Kölner Dom. Theologische Aspekte der Darstellung''; Universität zu Köln, Kunsthistorisches Institut (KHI); {{ISBN|978-3-668-04879-9}} (print), {{ISBN|978-3-668-04878-2}} (ebook); 2012.</ref> '''Tomb of the Three Kings''',<ref>[[Frank Leslie|Leslie, Frank]] (1872, English), "Tomb of the Three Kings"; ''Frank Leslie's Pleasant Hours'', No. 1, Vol. XII, p. 185, Frank Leslie (publisher), New York; February–July 1872 volume.</ref> or '''Tomb of the Three Magi'''<ref>[[Kamal Salibi|Salibi, Kamal Suleiman]] (English, 1980); ''A History of Arabia''; Caravan Books; New York; p. 46; {{ISBN|978-0-88206-036-1}} (hardcover); 1980.</ref> is a [[reliquary]] traditionally believed to contain the bones of the [[Biblical Magi]], also known as the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men. This shrine is a large gilded and decorated triple [[sarcophagus]] situated above and behind the [[high altar]] of [[Cologne Cathedral]] in western Germany. Built approximately from 1180 to 1225, it is considered the high point of [[Mosan art]] by various historians and scholars, and ranks amongst the largest reliquary in the Western world.<ref name=":1" />
The shrine has gone through periods of damage and restoration during the 16th century. Although the shrine has always been on display, it was not until the 19th century when the relics were unveiled to the public.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Zwierlein-Diehl |first=Erika |date=1997 |title='Interpretatio Christiana': Gems on the 'Shrine of the Three Kings' in Cologne |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42622185 |journal=Studies in the History of Art |volume=54 |pages=62–83|jstor=42622185 }}</ref> The relics of the three kings were first exhibited to public display in the 12th century.
Adorned with intricate decorations, the shrine's surfaces narrate the stories of the three Magi, the Virgin Mary, and the life of Christ. These narratives are depicted with figures meticulously rendered gold-plated silver.<ref name=":1" />
==History==
=== Origin ===
[[File:Chapel of the Magi.jpg|thumb|upright|Chapel of the Magi, Cologne Cathedral, where the Shrine of the Three Kings was kept from 1322 until 1948]]
The "[[relic]]s of the Magi" were originally brought to [[Constantinople]] by [[Helena, mother of Constantine I|Empress Helena]], [[Constantine the Great]]'s mother, then brought to Milan in an oxcart by [[Eustorgius I]], the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan|city's bishop]], to whom they were entrusted by Constantine in 314.<ref>[[David Lowenthal|Lowenthal, David]] (1998); ''The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998, xvi.</ref> Eight centuries later in 1164, [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick Barbarossa]] took the relics of the Magi from the church of [[Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio|Saint Eustorgio]] in Milan and gave them to the [[List of bishops and archbishops of Cologne|Archbishop of Cologne]], [[Rainald of Dassel]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cologne Cathedral Supposedly has the Bones of the Three Wise Men – Unearthed |url=https://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/unearthed/videos/cologne-cathedral-supposedly-has-the-bones-of-the-three-wise-men |access-date=7 November 2017 |website=www.sciencechannel.com |language=en-us}}</ref> who was also the imperial [[Archchancellor]] of Italy. In 1164, Rainald transferred these relics to Cologne where the shrine for the three kings was built. Their bones were wrapped in white silk and returned to the shrine. The relics have since attracted a constant stream of [[pilgrim]]s to [[Cologne]].
Parts of the shrine were designed by the famous medieval goldsmith [[Nicholas of Verdun]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Köln |first=Cologne Digital Medienproduktion GmbH |title=Der Hohe Dom zu Köln – Kathedrale und Weltkulturerbe – Gebaut für Gott und die Menschen |url=https://www.koelner-dom.de/rundgang/bedeutendewerke/shrine-of-the-magi-circa-1190-1220/info/?L=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107222049/https://www.koelner-dom.de/rundgang/bedeutendewerke/shrine-of-the-magi-circa-1190-1220/info/?L=1 |archive-date=7 November 2017 |access-date=7 November 2017 |language=en}}</ref> who began to work on it in 1180. It was completed circa 1225. Other parts of the shrine were decorated during the time of Archbishop Philip von Hensberg with additional jewels and gold placed on it. Scholar Lisa Victoria Ciresi notes that these precious jewels are said to evoke images of the [[New Jerusalem|Heavenly Jerusalem]].<ref name=":1" />
Around 1199, [[Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor|King Otto IV]] gave three golden crowns, purported to be made for the three wise men, as a present to the cathedral of Cologne. Because of the importance of the shrine and the cathedral for the later development of the city, the [[coat of arms of Cologne]] still shows these three crowns symbolizing the Three Kings. Hugo Stehkämper theorizes that King Otto IV of Brunswick was often depicted as the fourth king.<ref name=":0" /> He ascended to the throne in 1198 and became Holy Roman Emperor in 1209. He donated all of the materials that were needed to complete the shrine. On the shrine, he is depicted in the procession behind the Magi with inscription that labels him: "Otto Rex." Although King Otto IV offered the three kings the gold crowns, he, himself, does not wear one with them in his depiction on the shrine. Jūrgen Petersohn writes that King Otto IV wanted to be seen as having equal rank with the Three Magis, thus, he joins in on the Adoration of Christ.<ref name=":0" />
Construction of the present Cologne Cathedral begun in 1248 to house these important relics. The cathedral took 632 years to complete and is now the largest [[gothic architecture|Gothic]] church in northern Europe.
=== Disturbances and preservations ===
The shrine has undergone numerous disturbances and recoveries; however, aside from what was already lost, the shrine remains lavishly preserved. The last restoration of the shrine took place between 1961 and 1973 after it was removed during World War II from the cathedral.<ref name=":0" />
The shrine has been carefully preserved by an ''officiate'' or ''custodes regum'' that made it possible for the relics to remain in good condition for five hundred years. However, Renaissance collectors highly valued the gems on the shrine, making the shrine a target for robbery. On January 28 of 1574, several gems and pearls along with a large cameo were stolen from the trapezoid plate of the shrine.<ref name=":0" />
==== Ptolemy cameo ====
On January 28, 1574, the highly decorative parts of the shrine were stolen, including the Ptolemy cameo, from the trapezoid plate. The thief looted the shrine at a time when the priest celebrated mass and his back faced the laity. Unfortunately, the gems and jewels have never been recovered, nor has the identity of the thief been found. <ref name=":0" />
[[File:Ptolemäer-Kameo KHM IXa 81.jpg|thumb|Ptolemy Cameo]]
The stolen cameo, an Indian sardonyx with seventeen layers, eleven of which were used for engraving, was said to have two heads on it, and the measurement was about the size of a hand. The two heads represent the portrait of Ptolemy II and his wife, Arsinoë II. It was created during the Hellenistic period, 3rd century, in Egypt.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cameo with portrait heads {{!}} Greek, Ptolemaic {{!}} Hellenistic |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/629510 |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art}}</ref>
[[Albertus Magnus]] described the appearance of the stolen cameo in a note. In October 1586, the cameo was later offered in Rome to [[Fulvio Orsini]], a Flemish dealer. It was discovered to have been fractured during the times of the robbery, but it was repaired with an armored piece called a [[gorget]], which was made of steel or leather, and a golden frame.<ref name=":0" /> From 1586 onward, it has not been returned to the shrine, rather, it resides in the imperial collection at Vienna, which was confirmed by Clifford Brown.<ref name=":0" />
=== Nineteenth-century history ===
On 20 July 1864, the shrine was opened, revealing human remains and the coins of [[Philip I, Archbishop of Cologne]]. An eyewitness report reads:
:"In a special compartment of the shrine now there showed – along with remains of ancient old rotten or moulded bandages, most likely [[Sea silk|byssus]], besides pieces of aromatic resins and similar substances – numerous bones of three persons, which under the guidance of several present experts could be assembled into nearly complete bodies: the one in his early youth, the second in his early manhood, the third was rather aged. Two coins, [[bracteate]]s made of silver and only one side stricken, were adjoined; one, probably from the days of ''Philipps von Heinsberg'', displayed a church (''See Note''), the other showed a cross, accompanied by the sword of jurisdiction, and the crosier (bishop's crook) on either side."<ref>German original:
:"In einer besonderen Abteilung des Schreins zeigten sich nun mit den Resten uralter vermoderter Binden, wahrscheinlich Byssus, nebst Stuecken aromatischer Harze und aehnlicher Substanzen die zahlreichen Gebeine dreier Personen, die mit Beihilfe der anwesenden Sachverstaendigen sich zu fast vollstaendigen Koerpern ordnen liessen: der eine aus erster Jugendzeit, der zweite im ersten Mannesalter, der dritte bejahrt. Zwei Muenzen, Bracteaten von Silber und nur auf einer Seite gepraegt, lagen bei; die eine, erweislich aus den Tagen Philipps von Heinsberg, zeigt eine Kirche (''See Note''), die andere ein Kreuz, das Jurisdictionsschwert an der einen, den Bischofsstab an der anderen Seite. (Floss, ''Dreikoenigenbuch'', 1864, p. 108)</ref>
<blockquote>''Note'': "Just as the coin of Philipp in ''Hartzheim, historia rei nummariae coloniensis'' Table 3 No. 14, 16, (1754),<ref>Hartzheim, Josephus, ''Historia Rei Nummariæ Coloniensis, Et Dissertationes De Eadem: Pars prima, De Nummis Archiepiscoporum Coloniensium, Pars Secunda, De Nummis Ducum Juliacensium & Montensium, & Agnatorum Genti Juliacensi, Pars Tertia. De Nummis Civitatis Coloniensis'', 1754</ref> yet without its circumscription; the other (coin) is in square form, showed in the center a cross, accompanied by the sword of jurisdiction, and the crosier (bishop's crook) on either side, also without transcription, most certainly it is not younger and can be assumed perhaps to turn out to be a coin by Rainald [of Dassel]."<ref>German original:
: "Ganz so wie die Muenze Philipps bei Hartzheim historia rei nummariae coloniensis Tafel 3 Nr. 14, 16, doch ohne die Umschrift; die andere in viereckiger Form, in der Mitte ein Kreuz, das Jurisdictionsschwert an der einen, den Bischofsstab an der anderen Seite, auch ohne Umschrift, ist jedenfalls nicht juenger und duerfte sich vielleicht als eine Muenze Rainald's erweisen." (Floss, ''Dreikoenigenbuch'', 1864, p. 108)</ref></blockquote>
== Identity of the Three Magi ==
Images of the three Kings are located in the bottom middle of the sanctuary, offering gifts in this order according to the Gospel of Matthew: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, to Mary on the throne holding infant Jesus.<ref name=":0" /> These ventured to Bethlehem from the east where Christ was born after seeing a star. The identities of these Magi are in the order they appear on the shrine as golden figures: [[Caspar (magus)|Caspar]], [[Melchior (magus)|Melchior]], [[Balthazar (magus)|Balthasar]].<ref name=":0" /> Melchior, shown on the shrine with a long beard, is the oldest of the three. He is King of Persia, and was given the gift of gold to give the Christ Child. Balthasar, depicted as an old Middle Eastern or Black man with African features on the shrine, was the King of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia; he is giving the gift of myrrh to the Christ Child. Lastly, Caspar (or Gaspar) was the youngest of the three, and shown with a short beard on the shrine; he was given the gift of frankincense to give the Christ child.<ref name=":0" />
==Description==
[[File:Dreikönigenschrein, Rückseite, Detail Büste Rainald von Dassel.jpg|thumb|Detail with bust of [[Rainald von Dassel]]]]
===Size and construction===
The Shrine of the Three Kings is approximately {{convert|110|cm|in|abbr=on}} wide, {{convert|153|cm|in|abbr=on}} high, and {{convert|220|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. It is shaped like a [[basilica]]: two sarcophagi stand next to each other, with the third sarcophagus resting on their roof ridges. The ends are completely covered, so there is no space visible between the sarcophagi. The basic structure is made of wood, with gold and silver overlay decorated with [[filigree]], [[Vitreous enamel|enamel]], and over 1,000 [[gemstone|jewels]] and beads. The latter include a large number of [[cameo (carving)|cameo]]s and [[Intaglio (jewellery)|intaglio]] pieces, some pre-Christian.<ref name=":1" />
===Decoration===
The entire outside of the shrine is covered with an elaborate decorative overlay. There are 74 [[high relief]] figures in [[silver-gilt]] in all, not counting smaller additional figures in the background decoration. On the sides, images of the [[prophet]]s decorate the lower part, while images of the [[Twelve apostles|apostles]] and [[Four Evangelists|evangelist]]s decorate the upper part. It contains 304 engraved gems, where 142 of these gems have belonged to its initial embellishments.<ref name=":0" /> It is encircled by offertory candles and by twenty-four lamps. A grand chandelier hangs above the shrine that symbolizes the Heavenly Jerusalem.<ref name=":1" />
A removable trapezoid allows the viewer to see the relics through a latticed opening. Supported by angels and dominating the center until 1574 was the large Ptolemy cameo. The function of these angels were to have been the holy messengers of God the Father when they were seen beside Christ holding a [[chalice]], [[paten]], and [[diadem]].<ref name=":1" />
==== Front ====
The front of the shrine, completed sometime after 1200, resembles that of a cathedral with a high central midpoint. The figures located here are made of pure gold.<ref name=":0" /> This area contains the most precious gems, though they had been stolen in the 16th century. Across the bottom, from left to right, are images of the [[Adoration of the Magi in Art|Adoration of the Magi]], the [[Virgin Mary]] enthroned with the infant Jesus, and the [[Baptism of Jesus|Baptism of Christ]], and above, Christ enthroned at the [[Last Judgment]]. A removable filigree panel reveals a grille displaying the names of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. When the grille is removed, the skulls of the three Magi are shown wearing crowns.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Köln Dreikönigsschrein.JPG|thumb|Front of the Shrine with the trapezoid plate]]
The present front has been remodeled since the original design made by Nicolas of Verdun. However, the original plan for it is unknown.<ref name=":0" /> The Ptolemy cameo, the angels, and the row of crowns in the spandrels have been cleared away; however, the figure of Otto IV remains unchanged except for his little gold box that he is holding.<ref name=":1" />
==== Back ====
The back is similar in appearance to the two reliquaries on top. The relics of the three Kings are arranged in the bottom part of the shrine whereas [[martyr]]s [[Nabor and Felix|Felix and Nabor]] are located in the smaller upper part. There are 74 [[high relief]] figures in [[silver-gilt]] in all, not counting smaller additional figures in the background decoration. The surface is divided into 3 zones: lower, middle and upper zones. The standing figure of [[Jeremiah]] separates the events of [[Flagellation]] and [[Crucifixion]] in the lower zone. Above the lower zone, the middle zone, contains the portrait bust of [[Rainald of Dassel]], the [[Archbishop of Cologne]]. In the upper zone, the resurrected Christ is seen crowning the martyrs Felix and Nabor. [[Christ in Majesty]] is shown holding the [[Book of Life]] in his left hand whilst his right hand is held high for an act of judgment. The inscription reads along the inner band of the gable:<ref name=":1" />
"ADVENIO DIGNOS SALVARE FERIRE MALIGNOS ERGO BONI METITE FELICIA GAVDIA VITE ITE REI VOS IRA DEI TRANSMITTIT IN IGN<u>em</u> QUISQ<u>ue</u> METIT QUOD P<u>ro</u>MERVIT SUB IUDICE IVSTO."<ref name=":1" />
==== Sides ====
On the lateral sides, there are two series of aches that join the upper and lower levels. The figures of the prophets decorate the lower part, while the apostles and evangelists decorate the upper part, are all identified by their inscriptions and made of gilded silver. A cherub whose name is Plentinudo Scientiae (Abundant Wisdom) is seated in the middle of the apostles, while a seraph named Ardens Caritate (Ardent Sacred Love) sits on the other side.<ref name=":1" />
=== Mosan art ===
{{main|Mosan art}}
Mosan art (Latin name Mosa meaning "Meuse") is a regional style drawing from [[Carolingian art]], mostly produced in the [[Meuse]] river valley, during the 12th and 13th centuries. The Meuse valley is in present-day [[Belgium]], Netherlands, and Germany.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Brodsky |first=Joyce |date=1972 |title=The Stavelot Triptych: Notes on a Mosan Work |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/766688 |journal=Gesta |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=19–33 |doi=10.2307/766688 |jstor=766688 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The elaborate metalwork on the shrine was made by Nicholas of Verdun, from [[Verdun]], now in France, a small city on the banks of the Meuse River. The enamel panels depict Biblical narratives and iconographies of the [[Life of Christ in art|life of Christ]], the Virgin Mary, various saints and the [[Biblical Magi]]. Sculptural elements are seen on the shrine's figures. Mosan artists used techniques such as [[champlevé]] enamel, [[filigree]], and [[cloisonné]] in their works.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Breck |first=Joseph |date=1928 |title=Notes on Some Mosan Enamels |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1522736 |journal=Metropolitan Museum Studies |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=81–94 |doi=10.2307/1522736 |jstor=1522736 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==External links==
{{commons category|Shrine of the Three Magi, Cologne}}
* [http://www.koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=17451 Dreikönigenschrein] on the Cologne Cathedral site. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908154905/http://www.koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=17451 |date=8 September 2017 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070419224147/http://homepages.compuserve.de/dietmarscherm/Eustorgius.htm Information concerning the relics of the three kings (in German)]
* [http://www.vino-online.net/deca/e_index.htm Images of the shrine] Requires some navigation: go to "image database", click "search page", type "dreikönigenschrein" in "Freitext" field, and click "Suchen" (search).
* Mark Rose, [http://www.archaeology.org/online/reviews/threekings/ "The Three Kings & the Star"]
{{coord|50.9413|N|6.959|E|region:DE-NW_type:landmark|display=title|format=dms}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shrine Of The Three Kings}}
[[Category:1225 works]]
[[Category:12th-century sculptures]]
[[Category:13th-century sculptures]]
[[Category:Sculptures of the Adoration of the Magi]]
[[Category:Biblical Magi]]
[[Category:Cologne Cathedral]]
[[Category:Christian reliquaries]]
[[Category:House-shaped shrines]]
[[Category:Mosan art]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic shrines in Germany]]
[[Category:Romanesque art]]
[[Category:Silver-gilt objects]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Cologne]]
[[Category:Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor]]
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