Neo-Gothic Reliquary, 1890s

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Description

A neo-gothic relics or reliquary. Around late 19th/ early 20th centuries. Solidly made of oak wood with fine carving.

Reliquary … Read more A neo-gothic relics or reliquary. Around late 19th/ early 20th centuries. Solidly made of oak wood with fine carving.

Reliquary has served to store relics since the Middle Ages. In the sacred architecture, they are often located behind the main altar in the choral parish. In addition to classic often church-like containers, anthropomorphic, so-called “speaking” reliquaries, which already inform the viewer about their content by their own shape (e.g. arm or hand reliquities are often kept in arm-reliquaries). Most of them were made from precious metals and decorated with plenty of sculpture jewelry or gemstones. One of the best -known examples of reliquary is the Epiphany shrine by Nikolaus von Verdun from the late 12th and early 13th centuries in Cologne Cathedral.


The relics offered here has an architectural structure with a rectangular floor plan. The three -sided box rests on a base with Gaubendach.

A total of 8 columns of Corinthian order form the arcades that are crowned on both long sides of 3 eyelashes and include the Lanzett windows on the 3 showers. On the back there is a small lockable door in the middle.

The roof is colored and carved in the form of diamond -shaped bricks with crosses. The roof prince is crowned by Kreuzblatt decor in gold.

Both the base zone all around and the Tympana of the Wimpergen are decorated with colorful semicircular glass stones. A stone on the back of the base is missing.

Other usual iconographic elements in the form of signs of salvation etc. was dispensed with, which means that the focus was on the architectural structure in the Gothic style.

Remains on the back show that the relics was originally at least partially gold -plated with gold leaf.

The interior still has an old turquoise/blue version.

Partly newly glazed.

Dimensions: 76 cm high, 77 cm wide, 46 cm deep

Unfortunately, information on the origin and the original content is not known. See less