A METAL cross, once used to hold a piece of wood said to be from the cross on which Jesus was crucified, is to go on display in Colchester.

The Clare Reliquary Cross will form part of the second phase an exhibition of medieval artefacts at Colchester Castle, which aims to dispel the idea it was an era of darkness and barbarity.

As well as the cross, loaned from the Royal Collection, the exhibition includes jewellery, manuscripts and sculptures borrowed from the British Museum and museums across the East of England.

The collection does not allow pictures of the cross to be taken, but another special item is the Wenlock Jug, a bronze jug decorated with the royal coat of arms, which was saved from being sold to New York’s Metropolitan Museum by a Government export ban and is in the collection of Luton Museum.

The items tell the story of religion, civic pride and royalty from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. Philip Wise, heritage manager for Colchester and Ipswich Museums, said: “This exhibition not only showcases exceptional collections from across the region, it also demonstrates how national and regional museums and collections can work together to give access to truly fascinating objects and stories about our past.”

The first phase of the exhibition, which started in December, focused on Colchester and included the town charter, signed by Henry V in 1413.

l Medieval Mind: Art Treasures from East Anglia Part 2, opens on Saturday and runs until January 30, 2011.