Los Angeles Religious Items

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...

18th century spanish polychromed tabernacle, niche for the display of Santos. Original finish in somber tones of ochre and siena.

18th century painting of San Geronimo, oil on canvas laid on wood board. It was later placed in a restored 19th century wood and gesso frame. There is no signature.

This charming English wooden barrel from the late 19th century showcases rustic elegance with its sturdy construction. Likely crafted from vertical wooden slats, possibly oak, this b...

19th century Spanish Colonial carved giltwood Triptych of Virgin Mary & Christ Child Late 19th century, South America Of exceptional quality, the hinged three panel devotional ic...

A lovely antique Spanish Colonial hand carved and painted wood santo altar figure - religious folk art sculpture. 18th/19th century, possibly earlier, most likely depicting Saint F...

MUSEUM PERFECTION ! AZTEC INFLUENCED LATIN AMERICAN COLONIAL ART AMAZINGLY RARE PIECE ! Approx. 14" x 8" x 2 1/2" After Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec empire, painting and sculpture schools were set up within missions to produce art for Roman Catholic worship in Spanish America to promote Christian evangelization. The works that emerge from this period are great historic treasures and tell us much about this time in history. Icons were important in this conversion process. Here is an Imagene that was likely employed in a church from the 17th century. It features 5 elaborately carved faces and figures depicting angels and saints. This piece is magnificent for many reasons, but the most important reason is that this piece illustrates the bridge between the Spanish and Aztec art schools. The Aztecs had developed the most splendid feather art in the world. Feather mosaics (arte plumario in Spanish, amantecayotl in Nahuatl), were created by specially trained and talented Aztec nobles. The blue green iridescent color of hummingbird feathers had made them a regular form of tribute to Aztec rulers and art that featured these feathers were incomparable. The Spanish art instructors adopted feathers into traditional Catholic imagery and this piece shows the result of such hybrid. Here feathers are prominently sculpted into the background and were polychromed with sensational hues to reflect the native love and cultural appreciation for feather art. Few feather mosaics survive because of their temporal frailty, but the wood worked feathers in this piece give scholars and collectors a lasting indication of how Aztecs stylistically used the feathers in their pieces. Aztec religious leaders wore headdresses and garments made of feathers - and here these saints appear to be wearing feather headdresses! Even after centuries, the colors of this piece are incredibly compelling. Fragments of the rich blue green pigment that was applied to mimic the hummingbird feathers are still present. The golds, yellows and browns display spectacular understanding of complementary colors. What's more this piece also shows Aztec sun imagery incorporated into the design! On the reverse side of the Saints' faces we see a vivid blue sun burst type design which clearly was an Aztec motif of the period and has no comparable counterpart in Catholic holy treasures...

18th century Italian painted and parcel gilt reliquary box. This lovely large Italian Baroque box is made of painted and parcel gilt wood surrounded by ...

This is a very early French reliquary box used to hold personal articles such as a crucifix. The front door opens to reveal one wall in silk. The piece i...

This is an exquisite vintage depiction of Our Lady of Guadalupe, rendered in delicate hand-painted detail. The piece features soft, vibrant hues that highlight the iconic radiance of...

Collection of 3 Italian 19th century Marionettes A fantastic set of 3 19th century hand crafted marionette puppets. All with original cotton, silk and valour clothing intact, han...

Very nice saint figure. Hand carved wood with glass eyes Italy, circa 1800-1850. Weathered, small losses.