RELIQUARY WITH CHRIST RELICS AND MAJOR SAINTS

Very rare oval reliquary, encircled by a dark metal frame with a suspension ring. The interior, covered with red velvet, is decorated with golden paper scrolls and motifs forming radiant compartments around fragments of relics. Each fragment is identified by a handwritten label in brown ink. The whole is organized around a central cartouche bearing the inscription « Ex Inc. J. C. », designating a relic of the Incarnation of Christ.

• S. Franc. As. : Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226), founder of the Franciscans.

• S. Anton. Ab. : Saint Anthony the Abbot (ca. 251–356), Egyptian hermit, father of monasticism.

• S. Helen. Im. : Saint Helena, empress (ca. 250–ca. 330), mother of Constantine, associated with the discovery of the True Cross.

• S. Joann. Bap. : Saint John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.

• S. Alois Gon. : Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568–1591), Jesuit, model of purity and patron of youth.

• S. Alph. de L. : probably Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696–1787), founder of the Redemptorists, Doctor of the Church.

• S. Evoenii. : likely Saint Evenius, sometimes called Eugenius, an early saint venerated as bishop and martyr, whose cult spread in the West from the early Middle Ages.

• S. Fortun. M. : a martyr Saint Fortunatus (several existed, venerated since Antiquity).

• S. Rosae Vit. : Saint Rose of Viterbo (1233–1251), Franciscan tertiary who died very young, canonized in 1457.

• S. Annae Mat. : Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary.

• Ex Inc. J. C. : relic « Ex Incarnatione Jesu Christi », a relic directly linked to the earthly life of Christ.

• S. Joseph. Sp. : Saint Joseph, spouse of the Virgin Mary.

• Ex. Sep. D. : relic « Ex Sepulcro Domini », coming from the Holy Sepulchre of Our Lord.

Importance of the Relics of Christ

The two Christ relics are the most precious elements of the whole:

• Ex Incarnatione Jesu Christi: This formula designates a relic connected to the very mystery of the Incarnation. It could come from a piece of cloth, a thread, or a fragment associated with the Nativity crib or the house of Nazareth, sanctuaries linked to the moment when “the Word became flesh.” It therefore symbolizes the presence of the incarnate Christ among men.

• Ex Sepulcro Domini: Relic coming from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, that is, the tomb where the body of Christ was laid before the Resurrection. This highly venerated relic links the faithful to the very heart of the Paschal mystery, the passage from death to eternal life.

Theological Interpretation

To unite in a single reliquary these two relics – one linked to the Incarnation, the other to the Sepulchre – is to draw a spiritual arc from birth to Resurrection:

• Incarnation: God takes flesh, assuming the human condition.

• Resurrection: this assumed humanity is transfigured and redeemed.

This diptych condensed into a single object underlines the coherence of the Christian mystery: Christ is both Emmanuel (God with us) and the Risen One who opens the way to salvation. The other saints arranged around these relics appear then as a heavenly court bearing witness to this faith and uniting themselves to this central mystery.

Beyond the richness of the saints gathered, this reliquary is distinguished by its Christocentric value. It was designed to offer its possessor the closeness not only of many intercessors, but above all of the Savior himself. Placed in a private oratory or within a religious community, it symbolically condensed the entire history of salvation. The decoration in gilded paperoles, delicate and refined, accentuates the radiating spiritual effect around these sacred fragments.

PERIOD: 19th century
DIMENSIONS: 6 cm X 5 cm
SIZE: 2.4" X 2"