Splendor and Scarcity of Religious Matter: Medieval Cathedral Treasuries of the North

Abstract

This article provides an introduction to medieval treasuries, or collections of objects in churches, in Northern Europe. Particularly cathedral treasuries offer a significant material assemblage from the Middle Ages, and consequently an essential perspective on the complex relationships between objects, matter, and religious practice. We discuss the definitions of the “North,” and “treasury,” and as a case study, describe the history and research potential of the medieval treasury in Turku Cathedral, Finland.