19th-Century Ormolu & Paste Gem ‘Corona’ – Ecclesiastical Statue Crown

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19th-Century Ormolu & Paste Gem ‘Corona’ – Ecclesiastical Statue Crown with Acanthus Finial

An exquisite late 19th-century Continental ormolu corona … Read more 19th-Century Ormolu & Paste Gem ‘Corona’ – Ecclesiastical Statue Crown with Acanthus Finial

An exquisite late 19th-century Continental ormolu corona (ecclesiastical statue crown), richly cast and chased in openwork with scrolling acanthus leaves, beaded borders, and trellis-like latticework. This full circular coronet form is lavishly set with hand-cut and foil-backed paste gemstones, including brilliant colorless stones symbolizing purity and divine light, rectangular amethyst-purple pastes signifying piety and spiritual royalty, and apple-green pastes representing hope, renewal, and the promise of resurrection.

Each stone’s foil back was designed to catch and magnify candlelight, producing a luminous effect during processions or feast days. Crowning the piece is a stylized acanthus bud finial—a classical emblem of eternal life, renewal, and divine perfection.

Likely crafted in France or Italy, this corona would have adorned a processional statue of the Virgin Mary or a saint or served as a reliquary finial within a church treasury. The jeweled crown form, sometimes referred to as a “Virgin’s crown” or “reliquary crown,” was a prominent feature of Catholic devotional display during the 18th and 19th centuries, especially in Southern Europe.

Measuring 4.5" high x 4" in diameter, this piece unites regal form, ecclesiastical symbolism, and exceptional 19th-century metalwork. Its warm gilded patina and intact gemstone settings make it both a rare devotional artifact and a dramatic decorative object.

Condition: Excellent antique condition with minor age-appropriate wear to gilding and stones; original paste gems intact and sparkling.

Provenance: Private European collection. See less