RELIQUARY OF THE TRUE CROSS AND SEVERAL SAINTS

Rare reliquary in silver with two glass facades, beneath which unfolds a meticulous and symmetrical composition. At the center stands a relic of the True Cross of Christ, identified in Latin as: SS. Crucis , which serves as the axis for the entire arrangement. Around this cross are placed twelve circular and oval compartments, each containing a relic—fragment of bone, cloth, or dust—carefully set into a red or beige textile background, and bordered with gilded or silvered filigree scrollwork.

Each relic is identified by a miniature handwritten label, with Latin inscriptions written in black and red ink on rolled or cut paper. Among the named saints, we can recognize:

• S. Luciae V.M. — Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr

• S. Annae M. — Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary

• S. Xaver. — Saint Francis Xavier

• S. Ioy. V. — Probably Saint Joviniana or Saint Joya, virgin

• S. Velo. — Fragment of a veil or sacred garment of the Virgin Mary

• S. Donati — Saint Donatus

• S. Steph. — Saint Stephen

• S. D. — Possibly Saint Devota, or a collective abbreviation

The back of the reliquary is sealed with a devotional image printed on fabric, depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child. It is a colored engraving, typical of religious prints distributed in Catholic circles in the 18th century—likely of Italian or German origin, following the tradition of the devotio moderna.

Over this image is affixed an intact red wax seal, attached to a small piece of paper folded in a diamond shape. The seal is pierced by a red silk thread running through the reliquary, keeping the medallion closed. This thread ensures that the reliquary has not been opened since it was sealed.

The ecclesiastical seal bears an episcopal coat of arms, surmounted by a cross and flanked by heraldic motifs. Although partially worn, the outlines of a shield and the episcopal cross above it are visible, indicating that it is a seal of authentication by a bishop or postulator (a church official authorized to certify relics).

PERIOD: 18th century
DIMENSIONS: 7 cm x 2.2 cm
SIZE: 2.8" x 1.4"