RELIC OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA

Rare reliquary made of silver-plated bronze with a glass front containing the first-class relic Ex Ossibus of Saint Catherine of Siena.

The relic is fixed at the center of a refined decoration. It rests on a deep red fabric background; this color, omnipresent in Christian liturgy, symbolizes the blood of Christ and His redemptive sacrifice. Around the relic, a radiant motif in gold leaf evokes a divine halo, enhancing its sacred character.

Below, a paper or parchment label bears the inscription "Ex. Oss. S. Cacharinae. Virg Senensis. O. Prae" (originating from the bones of Saint Catherine, virgin of Siena, of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans)).

Good condition with its original glass.

Unopened.

Ecclesiastical seal and silk threads present.

PERIOD: 18th century
DIMENSION: 4.5 cm X 3.5 cm
SIZE: 1.8" X 1.4"

Saint Catherine of Siena (1347–1380) was a Dominican mystic, tertiary of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), born into a large family in Siena. From childhood, she exhibited an intense spiritual life marked by visions of Christ. At sixteen, she took a vow of virginity and devoted herself to the sick, the poor, and prayer. She played a major political role working for peace among Italian cities and urging the pope to return from Avignon to Rome. Her mystical work, notably The Dialogue, reveals a profound theology centered on union with God through love. She died at 33, exhausted from fasting and labor. Canonized in 1461, she was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970.