RELIQUARY WITH THORN OF THE CROWN OF THORNS AND RELICS OF THE PASSION

Rare 18th century silvered bronze reliquary with glass front containing several relics of the Passion of Christ.

This reliquary features a silvered bronze mount with a finely serrated border, typical of small devotional reliquaries of the 18th century. The glazed front protects a particularly refined interior composition arranged around a quatrefoil decoration of gilt filigree on a shimmering green background.

The ensemble contains four distinct relics connected to the Passion of Christ, each placed within a circular medallion bordered by gilded metallic threads.

The relics are identified by old handwritten labels:

“Ex spin. corona.”
→ Ex Spina Coronae
Translation: From the Crown of Thorns.

“Ex colum. flag.”
→ Ex Columna Flagellationis
Translation: From the Column of the Flagellation.

“Ex praesepio”
→ Ex Praesepio
Translation: From the Crib of the Nativity.

“Ex fune D.N.J.C.”
→ Ex Fune Domini Nostri Jesu Christi
Translation: From the rope of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The interior composition, of remarkable delicacy, demonstrates the craftsmanship of 18th century convent workshops, particularly in the use of rolled paper, metallic threads, and miniature decorative work.

Good antique used condition with original glass.
Unopened.
Ecclesiastical seal and silk threads present.

PERIOD : 18th century
DIMENSIONS : 4 cm × 3.5 cm
SIZE : 1.6" × 1.4"

The combined presence of several relics directly connected to the life and Passion of Christ within a single reliquary constitutes a particularly rare ensemble. Relics of the Crown of Thorns rank among the most precious and difficult to obtain in the Christian world because of their direct association with the Passion of Christ and their historical preservation within the great ecclesiastical treasuries of Europe. Fragments attributed to the Column of the Flagellation, the rope of the Passion, or the Crib of the Nativity were likewise distributed with extreme rarity, generally only to certain convents, privileged chapels, or high-ranking religious dignitaries.

The fact that these different relics are united within a single reliquary reflects a particularly strong devotional intention: to offer the faithful a true material synthesis of the principal mysteries of the Incarnation and Passion of Christ. This type of exceptional assemblage was intended to encourage spiritual meditation by bringing together, within a single devotional object, several sacred witnesses of the earthly life of Christ.