RELIC OF SAINT JOACHIM

Rare pewter reliquary with a glass front containing the relic of Saint Joachim. The relic is fixed in the center of a richly decorated decoration, decorated with gold-edged paperolles and silver threads. It is identified in Latin on a handwritten label as: .Joachim P BVM ("Joachim Pater Beata Virgo Maria", or Joachim father of the Blessed Virgin Mary). A red cloth background provides contrast and highlights the relic; this color, omnipresent in the Christian liturgy, symbolizes the blood of Christ and his redemptive sacrifice.

The red wax seal affixed by the Church not only guarantees the authenticity of the relic, but also that the reliquary has not been opened and that the relic has not been handled since it was closed. It thus ensures its intact preservation, providing complete certainty as to its provenance and integrity.

PERIOD : 18th century
DIMENSIONS : 3.5 cm X 2.7 cm
SIZE : 1.3" X 1.1"

Saint Joachim is, according to Christian tradition, the father of the Virgin Mary and the husband of Saint Anne . Although his name does not appear in the Gospels, he is mentioned in apocryphal writings such as the Protevangelium of James . He is described as a pious and charitable man, saddened by not having a child until an angel announced to him the birth of Mary. He is venerated as the patriarch of the Holy Family and a model of faith and humility. His cult spread from the Middle Ages, particularly in the East and the West. He is often represented with the Virgin Child in Christian iconography. His feast day is celebrated on July 26 , at the same time as that of Saint Anne.