St Eanswythe Reliquary
Awarded second place
A design and
construction of a
new reliquary to
contain the relics of St
Eanswythe
A design challenge was hosted by Isle Heritage
and the Finding Eanswythe Collective to put
together a proposal for a new reliquary to
house newly discovered remains of the Saint.
These relics comprise bones and teeth, most
of which are in a fragmentary and fragile
condition so I had to ensure that the reliquary
was environmentally stable, with no off gassing, and be resilient against corrosion,
irrespective of fluctuating humidity and
temperature within the church and shrine.
Contemporary designs were encouraged,
as were those which draw upon the artistic
traditions of seventh century Kent. I put
together a comprehensive pack detailing
the materials, processes, and design
decisions made for the entire concept.
I then presented it to the panel and was
shortlisted as top 5. They ultimately decided on
a different design but asked me to give inputs
on the chosen design. The company also asked
for my designs to be displayed in the church
itself at an exhibition for the Saint’s life. The
exhibition ran September 2023-December 2023.