The Fortress Collectibles and Curiosities

French 17th Century carved Wooden Folding Lectern In Gothic Style. Beautiful piece made out of oak and wrought iron. France circa 1600-1700. Weathered, small losses and old repair. M...

Wonderful Gothic eyecatcher to come home to, umbrella or stick stand. If first impressions count then you cannot go wrong with this Gothic Revival stand in your entrance. Not only i...

Decorate a living room or music salon with this exquisite 18th-century pedal harp. Crafted in France circa 1780, this Louis XVI single-action harp features 36 replaced strings over a...

Belgium / 1890 / Religious Triptych / wood, paper, glass / Neo-Gothic / Antique very old framed icon print under glass, patina handgeschilderde panelen op de zijkant Fabulous Late ...

19th C original painted game board. Nice original Salmon and black paint.

Bought in the south of France this set of antique doll carriages are an enchanting collection with wooden handles, original paint, and working wh...

Top quality crafted and incredibly durable Gothic church lectern. This practical size lectern is remarkably well crafted and the design and patina are ...

Early 18th century Italian carved and dovetailed walnut alms box, circa 1725 Large dovetails and old handwrought nails give this small scale box a hea...

A stunning pair of very fine quality French Neo-Gothic gilt metal church reliquaries. circa 1860s Most impressive objets d’art, born in France in the second half of the 19th century, most likely Parisian gilded bronze and brass ormolu work, exceptionally executed sculptural form, the exquisitely detailed architectural cathedral shaped case having a removable pointed steeple roof with cross finial, opening to relic display case surrounded on all sides by original glazed glass panes, stepped base, rising on disc feet. Signed, stamped by maker / bronzier "BC" (unknown) model "5096" and other faint marks to lid interiors. Additional photos available upon request Dimensions: (approx) 14.75" High, 6.75" Wide, 6.75" Deep; 13.25 lbs total History: A reliquary (also referred to as a shrine, by the French term châsse or monstrance) is a container for important religious relics. The earliest reliquaries were essentially boxes, either simply box-shaped or based on an architectural design, taking the form of a model of a church with a pitched roof. These latter are known by the French term chasse, and typical examples from the 12th to 14th century have wooden frameworks with gilt-copper plaques nailed on, decorated in champlevé enamel. Limoges was the largest production centre; NB the English usage differs from that of the French châsse, which denotes large size rather than shape. Relics of the True Cross became very popular from the 9th century onward and were housed in magnificent gold and silver cross-shaped reliquaries decorated with enamels and precious stones. From about the end of the 10th century, reliquaries in the shape of the relics they housed also became popular; hence, for instance, the skull of Pope Alexander I was housed in a head-shaped reliquary. Similarly, the bones of saints were often housed in reliquaries that recalled the shape of the original body part, such as an arm or a foot. A philatory is a transparent reliquary designed to contain and exhibit the bones and relics of saints. This style of reliquary has a viewing portal to view the relic inside. The feretrum was a medieval form of reliquary or shrine containing the sacred effigies and relics of a saint. During the later Middle Ages, the monstrance form, primarily used for consecrated hosts, was sometimes used for reliquaries. These housed the relic in a rock crystal, or glass capsule mounted on a column above a base, enabling the relic to be displayed to the faithful. Reliquaries in the form of large pieces of metalwork jewellery also appeared around this time, housing tiny relics such as pieces of the Holy Thorn, notably the Holy Thorn Reliquary now in the British Museum. Condition: Superb museum quality examples, in excellent original unrestored antique condition with beautifully aged patina. Wear consistent with age and use. Heavily patinated - scattered oxidation. Overall wonderful examples. Typically reliquaries were not sold in pairs, so to find a matching pair such as this is exceptionally rare. Worldwide shipping available Local pickup available near Dallas, Texas Additional: We here at Lynx Hollow Antiques love religious antiques, from Christian tabernacles, Catholic altarpiece, life-size Buddhist temple sculptures, Hindu votive offerings, 16th century Islamic mosque architectural salvaged windows...

A Botanical model by Robert Brendel, famous German botanist, 19th century. As detailed by the University of Aberdeen Zoology Museum, "In the late 19th century Botanist and model-mak...

This tall French statue of St. Bartholomew was hand-carved from oak in the 1700’s. This depiction of St. Bartholomew is not often seen in art, except for one of the most well known r...

A very fine and elegant Regency Satinwood and parcel-gilt double action Harp from the workshop of the famous harp and piano maker Sebastian Erard (1752-1831), decorated in the Grecia...