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Early Renaissance Chained Reliquary Pendant with Crucifixion

Early Renaissance Chained Reliquary Pendant with Crucifixion

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Early Renaissance Chained Reliquary Pendant with Crucifixion

About the Item

Reliquary Pendant with Crucifixion Germany, 1450–1500 Gilded silver Weight 88.3 grams; dimensions 102 × 39 × 11 mm (with chain), 46 × 39 × 11 mm (without chain) Gilded silver reliquary pendant comprising a flat rectangular box with plain sides and back. The front panel with Crucifixion scene is set against a cross-hatched background and functions as a sliding lid. The figures of Christ on the branched cross and the Virgin Mary and St. John on pedestals are modeled in relief. When opened, the inside reveals four compartments for relics. On top are three pendant loops holding short, heavy chains that are suspended from two pendant rings connected by an ornamental round bead. This fire-gilt pendant assumes the shape of a traditional reliquary: a box with a sliding lid, which when pulled back reveals the relics within. The form recalls some of the earliest reliquaries, including a tiny early Christian gold box discovered under the altar at Varna. This reliquary, of course, was not a stand-alone box but was worn as a pendant (as its original loop and triple chain attest). The back and sides are plain, although the back is of interest for two reasons: it both shows the wear that occurred with such a treasured piece, and it seems to have had a name, Johannes (?), scratched into it. This may be its original owner (or a successive owner) claiming possession. Presumably the man who cherished this object wore it suspended at all times from his neck (or more likely his belt) in order to have the opportunity to gaze upon its contents whenever he felt the need. We do not know what the contents were, but there must have been more than one relic, as the interior of the box (which retains the brilliant fire gilding in much better condition than the exterior) is divided into four compartments. Presumably there were four relics, each very small and perhaps wrapped in cloth or other protective layer. Before opening his box, the devotee would first have prayed and contemplated its exterior, decorated with a well-rubbed image of the Crucifixion. The depiction of the cross is somewhat different from that of others in this collection. Rather than a landscape mise-en-scène or the isolated figure of Christ on the cross, this cross presents Christ with Mary and John the Evangelist, yet the two accompanying figures seem to be lofted into the air from a base that “grows” into the scene, crossing over the bottom frame. This composition, in fact, follows a late medieval device common in reliquary and sculptural presentations, especially in Germany. It is as if the cross has grown extra branches to lift the holy figures up for our inspection and veneration, effectively and vividly setting the figures of the scene against a contrasting background. As a result, the base of the cross itself is expanded into a sort of vegetal, living Golgotha; the marks or gouges in the metal may be intended to represent drops of falling blood. The squared-off “metallic” ends of the cross itself may further be compared to monumental metalwork, resembling a processional or altar cross. The image as a whole presents a relatively simple but striking and effective devotional composition. Provenance: Formerly Howard Neville Collection of Early Works of Art; sale, Bonhams, London, 9 December 2009, lot no. 14. Comparisons and Literature: The Crucifixion with Christ on a branched cross appears in the goldsmiths’ work of the second half of the fifteenth century, for example, on the altar cross from the Treasury of Basel Cathedral (c. 1350 and 1464-74), today in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; see Husband 2001, no. 14, and Meles 2001, no. 24 (the latter example with compartments for relics at the back of the cross). Cf. also a related scene on a branched altar cross in the Treasury of Passau Cathedral (Fritz 1982, fig. 586, 1450- 75) and on a pendant on a miniature scale in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (Scarisbrick 1979, no. 480). Rare, however, is the branched cross on a reliquary pendant.

Metal:
Silver,Gilt Metal
Weight:
88.3 g
Dimensions:
Width: 1.54 in (39 mm)Depth: 0.44 in (11 mm)Length: 4.02 in (102 mm)
Style:
Renaissance
Place of Origin:
Germany
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
c. 1450-1500
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
Seller: J-350041stDibs: LU2334213072962

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