The triptych form of the shrine with gothic arches was chosen to emulate the practice of the displaying and keeping safe of relics of the true cross in golden triptych cases throughout the Christian world. The shrine itself is constructed on a solid timber frame and the silver and maroon glass to the front and sides of the shrine are made from fused glass and copper. The entire piece took over 325 hours to complete and 650 separate sheets of gold and palladium leaf were applied by hand during the water gilding process. The shrine is accompanied by information on the finding of the True Cross, the relic and the presentation which took place during a visit to Ghent in 2008.