Antique Portuguese Church Plaque Adorned with Rays and Dove at Center

An Italian carved wood family crest wall ornament from the early 18th century. This antique wall plaque from Italy has a beautifully-fluid shape, i...

A French carved-wood panel from the 18th century. This antique wall decoration from France has a primarily rectangular shape, with raised carvi...

Stunning religious wall panel in thick relief with strong hook for easy mounting. For the collectors of stunning antique church relics we are also offering this marvelously hand carved pelican sculpture for wall mounting. The character ascribed to the pelican in this context is nearly as fabulous as that of the phœnix. From a clumsy, gluttonous, piscivorous water-bird, it was by the growth of legends transformed into a mystic emblem of Christ, whom Dante terms "Nostro Pelicano". St. Hieronymus gives the story of the pelican restoring its young ones destroyed by serpents as an illustration of the destruction of man by the old Serpent, and his salvation by the blood of Christ. The pelican in Christian art is an emblem of Jesus Christ, by "whose blood we are healed" and it is also a symbol of charity. Many early painters and carvers mistakenly represented it more similar to an eagle (much like in this antique church relic), and not as a natural pelican which is why most people today still are a bit confused at first when this stunning hand carved, symbolic bird is called a pelican. This striking and all hand carved, symbolic panel was originally part of a church or monastery communion rail...

This exceptional antique bronze plaque, dating from the 19th century or early 20th century, is a rare and significant piece associated with the ...