RELIQUARY OF THE TRUE CROSS – 18TH CENTURY

Rare 18th-century oval silver reliquary with a glass front, containing a precious relic of the True Cross of Christ.

This reliquary features an antique oval frame surrounded by a peripheral decoration composed of twisted red silk threads and cut metal ornaments, typical of Baroque devotional mountings. The glass front protects an interior composition of great spiritual sobriety.

At the center appears a cross made from small wooden fragments arranged in the form of a Latin cross, displayed against a deep red background symbolizing the sacrifice of Christ and the Passion. The border is adorned with a radiant golden decoration evoking divine glory.

This relic corresponds to a fragment of the True Cross, that is, wood traditionally believed to come from the Cross of Christ’s Crucifixion.

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

PERIOD: 18th century
DIMENSIONS: approximately 3 cm × 2.5 cm
SIZE: approximately 1.2" × 1"

Relics of the True Cross are among the most important and most venerated relics in the Christian world. According to tradition, the Cross of Christ was discovered in Jerusalem during the 4th century by Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. Thereafter, small fragments were preserved in the great sanctuaries of Christendom and distributed with extreme rarity to churches, monasteries, and ecclesiastical dignitaries.

Reliquaries containing fragments of the True Cross occupied a central place in Catholic devotion, as they were regarded as direct material witnesses of the Passion of Christ. These objects were often carried as spiritual protections or preserved within private oratories.

Because of its age, its intact devotional mounting, and the particularly sacred nature of its relic, this reliquary possesses major historical, religious, and collectible significance.