An Italian Renaissance Bust
Italy
Circa 1580
A Gilt-Copper Bust of a Male Saint
height 38.5 cm (15.25 in)
Relics had been collected and venerated for many centuries before the Church felt that its authority was threatened and amalgamated them into the Institution by incorporating them into the Cathedral alters. Initially the reliquaries hid the relics, often in elaborate, bejewelled caskets but from the 12th century onwards “speaking reliquaries” became increasingly common; the shape representing the relic that they contained. As the centuries progressed and sculptures of the saints and Holy Family increasingly became the focus of pilgrimage so too reliquaries became more realistic. This 16th century gilded reliquary with its hinged skull would have contained at least a piece of the skull of the saint or martyr which it represents.
Provenance:
Elia Volpi Sale, American Art Galleries, 1917, Lot 46
Bibliography:
Illustrated catalogue of the extraordinary collection of art treasures and antiques acquired during the past year by Professor Commendatore Elia Volpi… and recently brought to America by the owner (New York, 1917)
Literature:
Treasures of Heaven, British Museum publication, 2011
S.2293