Eadred Reliquary
Encyclopedia
The so-called "Eadred Reliquary" was one of the wide-ranging art forgeries
produced by Shaun Greenhalgh
and his family, of Bolton, Greater Manchester. In 1989 his father George tried to sell to Manchester University a supposed 10th-century Anglo-Saxon silver vessel, the "Eadred Reliquary", containing a small piece of wood represented as a fragment of the True Cross
, which Greenhalgh claimed he had found while metal detecting in a Preston, Lancashire, park. Eadred, a son of Edward the Elder
, was King of England from 946 until his death in 955. Shaun Greenhalgh intended the object to represent a known missing Anglo Saxon piece. The British Museum
decided that the "reliquary
" was not genuine, but the Greenhalgh family managed to sell it privately for a modest £100.
Art forgery
Art forgery is the creation of works of art which are falsely attributed to other, usually more famous, artists. Art forgery can be extremely lucrative, but modern dating and analysis techniques have made the identification of forged artwork much simpler....
produced by Shaun Greenhalgh
Shaun Greenhalgh
Shaun Greenhalgh is a British art forger. Over a seventeen-year period, between 1989 and 2006, he produced a phenomenal range of forgeries...
and his family, of Bolton, Greater Manchester. In 1989 his father George tried to sell to Manchester University a supposed 10th-century Anglo-Saxon silver vessel, the "Eadred Reliquary", containing a small piece of wood represented as a fragment of the True Cross
True Cross
The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a...
, which Greenhalgh claimed he had found while metal detecting in a Preston, Lancashire, park. Eadred, a son of Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
, was King of England from 946 until his death in 955. Shaun Greenhalgh intended the object to represent a known missing Anglo Saxon piece. The British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
decided that the "reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
" was not genuine, but the Greenhalgh family managed to sell it privately for a modest £100.