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Above, is my rendition of the "Reliquary Pendant with Queen Margaret of Sicily Blessed". It was made by an unknown artist, within the period of 1174-77. The birthplace of this pendant is Canterbury, England. Within a decade of the martyrdom of Thomas Beckett, Bishop Reginald of Bath gave this pendant to Queen Margaret of Sicily. The inside of it contained minute relics of the saint's bloodied vestments (garments associated with Christianity), which were once probably covered by a crystal. The Latin inscriptions on the front, list the relics that were once under a crystal: “Of the blood of Saint Thomas martyr. Of his vestments stained with his blood: of the cloak, the belt, the hood, the shoe, the shirt.” It is believed that the bishop presented the pendant to the queen on the day of her son's marriage in 1177 to the daughter of Henry ll. This is significant as the King initiated the murder of Thomas Beckett, chancellor and former friend to the bishop on December 29, 1170. Thomas Beckett was later made a saint and became viewed as a Catholic martyr. 

The pendant is 5 x 3.1 x 0.7 cm, made completely of gold. The dimensions are small, as it is something that can be worn on a necklace as jewelry. The medium of this artwork associated with the time period, as metalwork was a popular art-making technique until around the 16th century. Since many people believed gold was the most valuable thing on earth, the bible also often compares things to it. It was and is still seen as a symbol of wealth, power, and status, but can also be associated with higher ideals, wisdom, and enlightenment in the Christian religion. 

The carving in the middle of the back of the pendant shows Queen Margaret being blessed by Bishop Reginald of Bath. As visible in the image, the Queen's hands are out, which convey that she is accepting of the bishop's blessing. The bishop is illustrated as more powerful, as he holds a staff and the Queen is somewhat bowing down to him. The bishop is raising his hand above her, which show his power in the church as he blesses her. The inscriptions surrounding the image say: "This thing was transmitted to Queen Margaret of Sicily by bishop Rainaud Batoniorum". The inscriptions being written in Latin are significant as it acknowledges the value of the language in Catholicism.

The meaning of this piece is visible through the engraved image of the blessing. As the Queen's son was marrying the daughter of King Henry ll in the future, the bishop was also blessing her. This blessing was important because the King was the one who murdered Thomas Beckett, whose relics were inside the pendant. Though this piece does not hold as much value as it did during the time of its creation, it can still be seen as a significant artifact from the time. It symbolized the value of relics and blessings held by the Catholic church and the way they cherished prominent figures of their religion.