Relics of the Past/ Reliques du Passe ─ Treasusres of the Greek Orthodox Church and the Population Exchange/ Tresors de l'Eglise orthodoxe grecque et l'Echange de population Les collections

Sacred Christian art objects--including tabernacles, plates, bottles, bibs, votives, crosses, and more--reveal the amazing skill and creativity of Greek craftsmen living in the predominantly Muslim Ottoman Empire. Precious metals, like gold and silver, beautifully decorated with carvings, embossed, and adorned with precious stones like rubies and sapphires, are pictured here and analyzed in terms of historical and artistic significance. The objects come from the Greek Orthodox community living on what is now the Turkish coast, under the rule of the Ottoman Empire from the 14th through 17th centuries.