RELIC OF THE COLUMN OF THE FLAGELLATION OF CHRIST

Rare 18th century reliquary with glass front containing a relic of the Column of the Flagellation of Christ.

This oval reliquary features an antique mount entirely made of silvered and gilt metallic cannetille work, forming a particularly rich radiant border typical of 18th century Baroque convent craftsmanship. The structure retains its original suspension loop in twisted metal wire.

The glazed front protects a sober and antique interior composition centered around a mineral fragment displayed on a patinated brown background. The central medallion is surrounded by a radiant decoration of metallic threads, further emphasizing the relic.

It is identified by an old handwritten label:

“De columna D.N.J.C.”
→ De Columna Domini Nostri Jesu Christi

Translation: Of the Column of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

This inscription designates a relic associated with the Column of the Flagellation of Christ, one of the Instruments of the Passion venerated in Christian tradition since the Middle Ages. These extremely rare relics were preserved in certain convents and ecclesiastical treasuries as objects of meditation upon the Passion of Christ.

Good antique used condition with original glass.
Unopened.
Ecclesiastical seal and silk threads present.

PERIOD : 18th century
DIMENSIONS : 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm
SIZE : 1.8" × 1.4"

The Column of the Flagellation is associated with one of the most striking episodes of the Passion of Christ. According to Christian tradition, Jesus was bound to it before being scourged by Roman soldiers on the order of Pontius Pilate. This episode, recounted in the Gospels, symbolizes the redemptive suffering of Christ before the Crucifixion.

From the earliest centuries of Christianity, several sanctuaries claimed to preserve fragments of this sacred column, notably in Rome and Jerusalem. These relics enjoyed immense veneration throughout the Middle Ages and the Baroque period.

Relics associated with the Instruments of the Passion, known as the Arma Christi, occupied a central place in Catholic devotion. They were used as aids for meditation upon the sufferings of Christ and preserved in precious reliquaries intended for chapels, convents, and ecclesiastical collections.

Relics of the Column remain particularly rare today on the religious antiquities market, especially when still preserved in their original sealed reliquary with intact ecclesiastical seal.