Reliquary; Northern Italy, late 19th century.

Reliquary; Northern Italy, late nineteenth century.
Ebonized wood, gilded bronze, brass and enamel.
Measurements: 38 x 23 x 12 cm.
Tabernacle furniture with central door, flanked by openwork columns that end in the form of an angel whose wings support the entablature of the upper area. Area that ends with a great tympanum crowned by a sculpture of round bulk made in gilded bronze that presents the Virgin Mary. This is adored by two angels also of bronze, located each one of them in each corner of the entablature. The interior of this piece of furniture is adorned by a relief conceived in several planes; the first one frames the image as a frame and is defined by a border of flowers and fruits crowned by little angels. In the second plane there is a border of clouds with child angels trying to crown the virgin. Finally, in the background but in high relief, the figure of the seated Virgin with the Child on her knees can be seen.
This type of religious objects were the most common in northern Italy and were exported all over Europe, being highly appreciated by the aristocratic classes. The realization of this type of religious objects, designed to house the relics of the saints, was common from the Gothic period, highlighting both the crosses or the so-called "testas", which, in the documentation contemporary to their realization, were very popular. They were used to contain relics. Although many of them took very different forms, they all had the same devotional purpose, which sometimes went beyond fanaticism. It should be remembered, however, that at that time, practically any element that had been in contact with the saint or his mortal remains (cloths, burial soil, etc.) was considered a sacred relic. This triggered a whole market for such objects. The best examples were made of precious metals, but specimens such as the present one were also highly valued, both for the container and, above all, for the content.