Pyx. Between masses,
the blessed sacrament is
reserved in a Catholic church in a tabernacle. Where this happens
in an Anglican church (now quite rarely, and in any case
only since the late 19th century) it is usually in an aumbry. However, in the medieval church, the sacrament was reserved in a pyx, a device usually made out of silver, which was covered with a canopy and suspended above the altar. In all England, only four of these medieval hanging pyxes survive, and one of them is at Dennington in Suffolk. It has been returned to its original use (albeit for Anglican purposes rather than Catholic ones). Even rarer, only one pyx canopy survives. This is at Hessett in Suffolk - or, rather, it was. It can now be seen in the British Museum, and large-scale photographs of it are on display in the church. |