Historical object carried by minstrel (icon) (5)
I believe the answer is:
relic
'historical object' is the definition.
(a relic is an ancient object)
'carried by minstrel icon' is the wordplay.
'carried by' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'RELIC' can be found hidden inside 'minstrel icon'.
(Other definitions for relic that I've seen before include "Personal saintly memorial" , "Survival from earlier times" , "item of historic interest" , "E,g. dead saint's bone" , "One may venerate this" .)