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What scene is shown on the Reliquary of the Holy Thorn?
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Enamelwork
Standing dish depicting Samson crushing the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, enamel on copper by Pierre Courteys, c. 1580; in the Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, Ohio. Height 9.8 cm, diameter 22.9 cm.
The Reliquary of the Holy Thorn, a notable example of encrusted enamelling, features a central Holy Thorn set within a gem. This central element is surrounded by a depiction of the Last Judgment scene, which includes 20 enamelled figures, many of which are executed entirely in the round.1