Bust of Charlemagne
| Bust of Charlemagne | |
|---|---|
Bust of Charlemagne (14th century) | |
| Year | 1349 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | gold, silver-gilt, gems, enamel |
| Location | Aachen Cathedral, Aachen, Germany |
| 50°46′29.1″N 6°5′2.12″E / 50.774750°N 6.0839222°E | |
The Bust of Charlemagne (German: Karlsbüste) is a reliquary from around 1350 which contains the top part of Charlemagne's skull. The reliquary is part of the treasure kept in the Aachen Cathedral Treasury. Made in the Mosan region (the valley of the River Meuse), long a centre of high-quality metalwork, the bust is a masterpiece both of late Gothic metalwork and of figural sculpture.
The Bust of Charlemagne, as a masterpiece of Mosan goldwork, initiated a height of silver-gilt naturalistic reliquary busts.