RELIQUARY OF SAINT PHILIP THE APOSTLE

Rare 18th-century reliquary in gilded bronze with a glass front containing a first-class relic EX OSSIBUS of Saint Philip the Apostle.

This oval reliquary features an antique gilded bronze mount, now covered with a warm and nuanced patina resulting from age. The upper bail, faceted and slender, has been preserved, allowing the piece to be suspended for devotional purposes.

The glass front, slightly clouded over time, protects an interior composition of strong symbolic significance. The background is made of deep purple textile, a liturgical colour associated with apostolic witness and sacrifice.

At the centre unfolds a radiant decoration composed of gilded metal rays arranged as a mystical sun, converging towards the relic. This type of mounting, common in the 18th century, sought to visually express heavenly glory and the diffusion of the apostolic faith.

The relic itself appears in the form of a light-coloured bone fragment, set at the heart of the radiance.

It is identified by a handwritten label in the form of a phylactery:

“Ex Oss. S. Philip. Ap.”
→ Ex Ossibus Sancti Philippi Apostoli

Translation: From the bones of Saint Philip the Apostle

It is therefore a bone relic in direct contact with Saint Philip, one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ, witness to the earliest evangelical preaching and martyr of the faith.

Good condition for devotional use with original glass.
Unopened.
Ecclesiastical seal and silk threads present.

PERIOD : 18th century
DIMENSIONS : 4 cm × 3 cm
SIZE : 1.6" × 1.2"

The presence of a bone relic of an Apostle gives this reliquary major spiritual significance. The Apostles constitute the very foundation of the Church, as direct witnesses of Christ, custodians of His teaching and the first spreaders of the Gospel. Saint Philip, called by Jesus at the very beginning of His public life, took part in the revelation of the Messiah and in the transmission of the nascent faith.

Historically, apostolic relics rank among the most venerated after those directly linked to the Passion of Christ. Their distribution was extremely controlled, most remaining preserved in major European sanctuaries. Bone fragments attributed to the Apostles, when found in private or convent reliquaries of the 18th century, testify to high-level ecclesiastical networks and to particularly prestigious devotion.

The mystical sun mounting here takes on its full meaning: it symbolises the radiant apostolic mission and the spread of evangelical light throughout the world. The relic thus becomes not only a bodily trace of the saint, but also a material sign of the very foundation of the Christian faith.