Flemish - Rock Crystal Reliquary - Walters 57695 - Front View A

The workmanship of this casket points to the court of the dukes of Burgundy in the late 1400s. Transparent rock crystal could protect, yet allow the viewing of, a treasured object placed at the center of the emanating rays and secured with clips in the base. The white rose is the emblem of the English royal house of York. Margaret of York (1446-1503), married Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, in 1468. She was a patron of religious institutions in the Netherlands, and the casket is surely a reliquary.
Lands of the dukes of Burgundy (much of the Southern Netherlands) were inherited by the Habsburgs through marriage over a century before the time of Albert and Isabella. Isabella's various titles included duchess of Burgundy. The Habsburgs strove to associate themselves with Burgundian splendor.