RELIQUARY OF THE HAND OF SAINT ANNE, VIENNA, 18TH CENTURY

Rare Austrian convent reliquary from the 18th century, preserved in its original glazed frame of ebonized wood with gilded molding.

The composition is centered around a votive wax hand, richly adorned with silver bullion wire, metallic flowers, pearls, and hand-crafted textile decorations executed according to the traditional techniques of Central European convents.

Arranged around this hand are four relics identified by handwritten cedulae, three of which remain legible:

• Saint Dorothy (S. Dorotheae)
• Saint Agnes (S. Agnetis)
• Saint Sabina (S. Sabinae)
• A fourth relic whose identification is now partially obscured.

The original period authentication document preserved on the reverse is the most remarkable element of the ensemble. Written in German, it certifies that this devotional hand was brought into contact with the famous relic of the true hand of Saint Anne, preserved in the Saint Francis Xavier Chapel of the Imperial Court in Vienna.

"I, the undersigned, hereby attest upon my priestly faith that the present hand, composed of various holy relics, has truly been touched to the authentic hand of the Holy Mother Anne (which is honorably preserved in the Court Chapel of His Imperial and Roman Catholic Majesty, dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier), and that it conforms to it in every respect. For greater certainty, I have provided this holy hand with the present certificate together with the corresponding seal. Given at Vienna."

This piece belongs to the category of contact relics (Berührungsreliquien), devotional objects sanctified through direct contact with a major relic. Such creations were particularly prized in Austrian monastic circles during the Baroque period.

Through its unusual iconography, its documented Viennese provenance, and the quality of its convent craftsmanship, this reliquary constitutes a remarkable testimony to the Catholic piety of Central Europe in the 18th century.

PERIOD : 18th century
DIMENSIONS : 28 cm × 23 cm
SIZE : 11" × 9"

Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ, is among the most venerated saints in Christianity. Her cult enjoyed exceptional prominence throughout Europe, particularly within the Habsburg territories, where precious relics were dedicated to her. In Vienna, her holy hand was preserved and honored as an object of profound popular devotion. The faithful came to invoke her protection for families, mothers, and children. The authentication document accompanying this reliquary attests that this votive hand was brought into direct contact with the relic of Saint Anne’s holy hand preserved in the Imperial Chapel of Vienna. Through this direct contact, the object acquired a special spiritual value and became a precious testimony to Baroque devotion. This reliquary thus constitutes a rare souvenir of one of the most important centers of devotion to Saint Anne in 18th-century Catholic Europe.