RELIQUARY, FIRST CLASS RELIC OF SAINT PHILIP

Rare bronze reliquary with a glass front containing the first-class relic Ex Ossibus of the Apostle Saint Philip . The relic is set in the center of a richly decorated setting, decorated with gilt-edged paperolles and silver thread. It is identified in Latin on a handwritten label as: Ex Ossibus S. Philippi Ap . (From the bones of Saint Philip the Apostle). 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 Philip was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, originally from Bethsaida in Galilee . He is mentioned several times in the Gospels, notably during the multiplication of the loaves and when he asks Jesus to show them the Father. After Christ's resurrection, he is said to have evangelized Asia Minor , particularly in Phrygia (present-day Turkey). According to tradition, he suffered martyrdom in Hierapolis , where he was crucified upside down or hung from a tree. His relics are venerated partly in Rome , at the Church of the Holy Apostles. He is often depicted with a cross or a book, symbols of his apostolic mission. His feast day is celebrated on May 3 in the Catholic Church.