BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Treasures of the Holy Sepulchre

New York exhibit showcases church's collections

Baroque crucifix from Naples, 18th century. The Frick Collection; Photo By Joseph Coscia Jr.

Through January 5, 2026
The Frick Collection
New York City, New York
frick.org

More than 40 precious artifacts from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem are currently on display at the Frick in New York City. These treasures date from the 17th and 18th centuries, when various European Catholic rulers donated them to the church as expressions of personal piety and recognition of the holy site’s unrivaled importance as the traditional place of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Used and safeguarded by the Jerusalem Franciscans, who have maintained their presence at the church since the 14th century, many of the stunning pieces remained generally unknown until the 1980s.

Representing the pinnacle of European artisanship of the Baroque era, the artifacts include a variety of liturgical objects in gem-encrusted gold and silver, as well as richly decorated liturgical vestments in velvet, damask, and other luxurious materials. The display is organized geographically by the regions of origin: the Holy Roman Empire, France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The accompanying catalog provides detailed information on individual artifacts and a series of studies about their context.

Among the masterpieces on display is this crucifix from mid-18th-century Italy. It is made of gold and lapis lazuli and lavishly decorated with diamonds, emeralds, garnets, quartzes, rubies, and glass.

Titled To the Holy Sepulcher: Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum, the New York installation is one of several that have been touring Europe and North America to showcase these treasures before the new Terra Sancta Museum opens at Jerusalem’s St. Savior Monastery, scheduled for 2027. It will next travel to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas (March 15–June 28, 2026).

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