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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Any Jewelry, post: 362461, member: 2844&quot;]After Charlemagne the Carolingian kingdom split up quickly, mostly into ecclesiastical city states. The importance of Aachen waned, as there was no king in Aachen. Aachen was trying to find its bearings in the chaos after the death of Charlemagne, and was quickly surpassed by other towns.</p><p>This was the period of the &#039;Good Towns&#039;, the Ecclesiastical States in the region. The Prince-Bishop of Liege, in presentday Belgium, was the Overlord, far more powerful than the bishop of Aachen.</p><p>Maasland art is a direct descendant of Carolingian art. It is also known as Mosan art. The name indicates the focus on the Maas towns. The river Maas, or Meuse, runs through both Maastricht and Liege, but nearby Aachen is included in Maasland culture.</p><p>The reliquary above was made in Maastricht, not in Aachen. Maastricht was an ally of Liege, but was independent and wealthy, and an artistic powerhouse. It was ruled by two lords, the duke of Brabant and yet another wealthy bishop. The combination of the two made for influences from a wider area, and led to many artists being drawn to Maastricht. The bishop commissioned the reliquary to be made locally for the relics of St Servatius.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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