Reliquary Types

The various forms of reliquary — ark, monstrance, arm-reliquary, head-reliquary — used to honor the saints' remains.

Orthodox reliquaries take many forms: the ark (arca) is a chest-shaped container for multiple relics; the arm-reliquary (braccio reliquiario) contains the arm or hand of a saint; the head-reliquary honors the skull; the encolpion is a small reliquary worn around the neck. The antimension sewn with a relic is itself a portable reliquary — every altar table is also a reliquary. The variety of forms expresses the seriousness with which the Church honors the bodies of the saints as genuine participants in the eschatological life.