Shrine of The Gospels of Saint Molaise

In the pictureA small rectangular box of silvery metal sits at an angle. The front is divided into compartments around a circular cross at the center, with a white stone set at the very center of the cross. Each of the four compartments around it holds a winged figure with a twisting body, and small letters are engraved in each compartment. Red stones are set at the centers of the top, bottom, left and right of the front, and the remaining compartments are filled with interlace. The top is also set with a white stone and small red stones, loops rise at both ends, and on the right side is a clasp set with red ornaments.

BackgroundThis box is not the original. The Met records its date as "early 20th century (original dated 1001–25)" and classifies it as a metalwork reproduction; it came in 1908 through the Rogers Fund along with other replicas of Irish reliquaries. The original is a book shrine that held the Gospels of Saint Molaise, who is said to be the 6th-century saint who founded the monastery on Devenish Island in Lough Erne. The winged figures on the front are the symbols of the four Evangelists. At 14.1 × 8.6 × 16.5 cm it fits in two hands, and as a newly made object it has an even silvery sheen instead of the wear of the original.

Puzzle tipThe straight edges of the box and its division into compartments form the framework. Placing the white stone at the center of the front and the red stones in the four directions first establishes the cross-shaped layout. The four figure compartments are easy to distinguish because the figures face different directions, and the interlace compartments can be checked against the preview. Finish the three-dimensional form with the clasp on the right side and the loops on the top. 48 pieces is a good fit.