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Antique Architectural Rock Crystal Pendant

$20,000List Price

About the Item

ROCK CRYSTAL PENDANT WITH COLUMN France or Italy, 16th century Fire-gilded silver, rock crystal, verre églomisé Weight 96 grams; dimensions 75 × 35 × 21 mm (with loop) Architectural pendant with rectangular cross section, rock crystal casing, and gilded silver mounts forming the base and roof, both profiled and on the sides connected by a hinge mechanism. Inside is a crystal column with verre églomisé. Above and below the mounts appear an engraved four-petaled flower against a lined background; on top, a baluster-shaped base for pendant loop and ring; along the edges, the initials F B/G L [o]; and below, M G/F C and finial. This is a wonderful object for “crystal gazing.” Although it has suffered minor fracturing—a hazard to which this gem is prone (Pliny recounted a few horror stories)—this large piece of rock crystal is very clear and therefore of exceptional quality for its era. The substantial gem, which is an extremely valuable and powerful substance, here seems to proclaim itself as a material presence even more than a means of protection for the contents of the tiny cylinder at its core. One was to experience the crystal as crystal. The large gem rests in a substantial gilded silver setting with what can only be called architectural elements. A series of moldings at both top and bottom create a cornice and socle of sorts that define the piece as a monument in miniature, a tiny temple. Again the purpose seems to be to capture the gaze, control it, and direct the eye to what is held at the center of the piece. At that center is a void, a cylinder drilled out of the gem. Dropped into this space is a tiny gilded column with a few apertures marked out with ogee arches. What was originally in these spaces is unclear from visual inspection—were there relics? Paintings? The later history of this piece and its wear have frustrated its very purpose—to display its sacred contents. One might compare the effect with another architectural reliquary from Spain, which similarly has a central columnar element and a surrounding rock crystal (although much smaller and less substantial), and again, a setting with architectural elements. However in the pendant from the Hispanic Society, the relics are labeled and contained in the base and “abacus” of the column. The elaborate enameled ornamentation to some degree draws attention away from the rock crystal core. The top and bottom of this reliquary further contribute to the mystery. Here we find a floriated incised decoration and, inside an outer frame, a series of letters, probably the owner’s initials but thus far unidentified (F B/G Lo and M G/F C). Provenance: Collection of Thomas F. Flannery Jr. (1926-1980), a Chicago neon-sign producer and a collector of medieval and later works of art; his sale, London, Sotheby’s, 1 December 1983, lot 276. Comparisons and Literature: The pendant is unique in design, and the column in the center probably represents a relic from a place of pilgrimage. In the Basilica of St. Maximin in La Sainte Baume (southern France), the relics of Mary Magdalene have been venerated since 1279, when her bones were discovered in a sarcophagus. Charles Salerno, nephew of St. Louis of France, who became Count of Provence and King of Sicily under the name Charles II, founded the Basilica. Mary Magdalene’s relics are encased in a life-size reliquary with her skull held by saints; below is a tabernacle with column and painted motifs similar to the column in the pendant (Jansen 2000, pp. 221-22; 247- 49). In the crypt where Mary Magdalene’s sarcophagus is kept, there are three more sarcophagi that are thought to contain relics of saints. The significance of the initials engraved on the pendant remains unknown. For a columnar pendant with relics of saints, cf. a Spanish example in the Hispanic Society of America, New York (Muller 2012, p. 78, fig. 118).

Metal:
Gilt Metal
Stone:
Crystal,Rock Crystal
Stone Cut:
Mixed Cut
Weight:
96 g
Dimensions:
Height: 2.76 in (70 mm)Width: 2.96 in (75 mm)Depth: 0.83 in (21 mm)Length: 1.38 in (35 mm)
Style:
Medieval
Period:
16th Century
Date of Manufacture:
16th century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
Seller: J-350151stDibs: LU2334214157472

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