Zijaanzicht van de relikwieënkast van Sint Waltrudis in de Sint-Waltrudiskerk in Mons, België before 1896

This is Joseph Casier’s engraving of the reliquary of Saint Waltrudis, which resides in the Collegiate Church dedicated to her in Mons, Belgium. Casier was a printmaker, and his work captured architectural subjects, often with a documentary impulse. The reliquary, an ornate, Gothic-style chest, is far more than a container; it’s a statement of power and identity. Saint Waltrudis, a noblewoman who chose a religious life, became an abbess and a symbol of local pride. Her relics, housed within this elaborate structure, were paraded through the streets to protect the city. This chest isn’t just about faith, it is about civic identity, class, and the tangible power of belief. The people of Mons saw themselves reflected in the stories and the symbols held within. Casier's engraving, made long after the reliquary was created, speaks to the enduring fascination with these objects, and with the narratives they embody. It reminds us that objects carry our collective memories and shape our understanding of who we are.