DEVOTIONAL SILVER PENDANT. 17-18TH CENTURIES.
Antiques -
Reference: ZF0190
Reliquary cross. Silver, clear glass. 17th-18th century Devotional pendant made of silver and shaped like a Latin cross, decorated on the outside with simple scrolls, spikes, pearls and other elements of classical inspiration, as well as a ring to wear the jewel hanging from the neck. The front has seven oval holes (the one where the arms are crossed, which is larger) protected with transparent glass; the back is smooth, with the material in its colour. Typologically, there are similar examples of Portuguese origin, made of rock crystal and protected by silver bands, without the scrolls and other decorations, dating from between the 16th and 17th centuries, preserved in two private collections. The present jewel shows profiles with much more movement than these two, although the motifs and the simplicity of the lines respond to classicist influences. This type of jewellery was of great value to its owners, both for the materials from which it was made and for its content, which was considered sacred and protective. Despite this high value (or precisely for this reason), few examples of good quality and in good condition have reached us. There are medallions similar to the present one only in some important institutions such as the Fundación Valencia de Don Juan in Madrid, the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas (Madrid), the Lázaro Galdiano (Madrid), the Museo de Creencias y Religiosidad Popular del Pirineo Aragonés (Abizanda, Huesca), the Metropolitan Museum (New York), etc. And in prominent religious institutions such as the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela or the Convent of the Descalzas Reales in Madrid.
· Size: 6,5x10 cms.
1.400 €
