Reliquary. Spain, XVIII century.

Reliquary. Spain, XVIII century.
Wood and tin.
Measurements: 30 x 14 x 8 cm.
The realization of this type of religious objects, designed to house the relics of the saints, was common since the Gothic period, highlighting both the crosses, as the so-called "testas", which, in the documentation contemporaneous to its realization, were very popular. 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, which triggered a whole market for this type of object. The best examples were made of precious metals, but specimens in other materials were also highly valued, both for the container and, above all, for the content.