Opulent 18th Century Baroque Reliquary of Blood of Saint St. Francis '15th Cent'

15th century Italian carved wood, polychromed and gold gilded sculptures of four Pillars of the Christian Faith (Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Luke, Saint Matthew).

Early 18th Century Spanish carved-wood polychromed sculpture of Saint Apollonia of Alexandria, Patron of Dentistry. This actual sculpture appears in the book Santa Apolonia En España...

17th Century Spanish carved oak wood sculpture of Saint Francis Xavier, the co-founder of the society of Jesus.

A pair of 16th Century Italian wood carved figures of Saint Ambrose Archbishop of Milan and Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, two of the four original Doc...

A pair of 18th Century Venetian Rococo carved wood and gold gilded wall shelves. These are finely carved from wood and have a delicate curled scrol...

18th century French carved-wood panel of a scene of with Cherubs farming. The piece is mounted on a Lucite panel and framed with a double walnut molding...

A stunning tall 18th century male life like antique sculpture of St. John the Baptist, carved from wood and once a decoration from a French church or cathedral. This statue will add depth and meaning to any contemporary home. This statue will work well in either a classic or contemporary setting. Exceptional quality! The dimensions are: Height: 124cm (48.8in) Width: 35cm (13.8in) Depth: 39cm (15.4in) In good antique condition throughout with no signs of age. The carved wooden sculpture remain in good, clean condition. The antique carved statue...

A stunning antique Italian Baroque style silvered metal gilded wood monstrance reliquary. circa 1770-1820 Handmade in Italy in the late 18th / early 19th century, commissioned by the church to display an important religious relic, sculptural painted wood form, mounted with decorative silver repousse metal facing, open oval window where the philatory relic was once housed, rising on a gold gilt painted shaped plinth base. Dimensions: (approx) 17" High, 8" Wide, 5" Deep, 1.25lbs History: Reliquaries (also referred to as a shrine or châsse in French), are containers used to protect and display relics. A portable reliquary may be called a fereter, and a chapel in which it is housed a feretory. A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic host during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. It is also used as reliquary for the public display of relics of some saints. The use of reliquaries became an important part of Christian practices from at least the 4th century, initially in the Eastern Churches, which adopted the practice of moving and dividing the bodies of saints much earlier than the West, probably in part because the new capital of Constantinople, unlike Rome, lacked buried saints. Relics are venerated in the Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and some Anglican Churches. Reliquaries provide a means of protecting and displaying relics. While frequently taking the form of caskets, they range in size from simple pendants or rings to very elaborate ossuaries. The relics were enshrined in containers crafted of or covered with gold, silver, gems, and enamel. These objects constituted a important form of artistic production across Europe and Byzantium throughout the Middle Ages. Many were designed with portability in mind, often being exhibited in public or carried in procession on the saint's feast day or on other holy days. Pilgrimages often centered on the veneration of relics. The faithful often venerate relics by bowing before the reliquary or kissing it; those churches which observe the veneration of relics distinguish between the honor given to the saints and the worship that is due to God alone. Sixteenth-century reformers such as Martin Luther opposed the use of relics since many had no proof of historical authenticity and objected to a cult of saints. Many reliquaries, particularly in northern Europe, were destroyed by Calvinists or Calvinist sympathizers during the Reformation...

Oval carved wood portrait of Casimir-Frédéric de Rathsamhausen-Wibolsheim (1698-1786). Known as Dom Léger, he was a Catholic cardinal at the Abbey of Murbarch in France's Rhine valley...

An early 18th Century antique hand carved and polychromed hand painted table crucifix from France with its original patina preserved. This crucifix could possible date back as early ...

Intriguing 18th century Italian Santibelli in walnut. These small saint figurines were created in the spirit of the 'chreche' figurines (depiction of t...

Gesso, wood and silver leaf reliquary with window and door. Cool.