Basel was a see from the seventh century onwards. As the Episcopal church, the cathedral had a special role to play which in turn meant that its treasury differed from the treasuries of other churches. This explains why it also contains the insignia of a bishop, such as the crosier and ring taken from a tomb inside the cathedral.


The pewters for holy oil are among only a handful to have survived from pre-Reformation Europe. The Mass of the Chrism in Holy Week at which the Catholic bishop blesses the holy oil before distributing it to the parishes in his diocese is still practised today.