DEVOTIONAL SILVER PENDANT. 17-18TH CENTURIES.

Reliquary cross. Silver, clear glass. 17th-18th century A devotional pendant made of silver in the shape of a Latin cross, decorated on the outside with simple scrolls, points, pearls, and other classically inspired elements, as well as a ring for wearing the piece around the neck. The front has seven oval openings (the one at the intersection of the arms being the largest) protected with clear glass; the back is smooth, with the silver in its natural color. Typologically, there are similar examples of Portuguese origin, made of rock crystal and protected by silver bands, without the scrolls and other decorations, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, and preserved in private collections. The present jewel displays profiles with much more movement than these two, although the motifs and the simplicity of the lines reflect classical influences. These types of jewels held great value for their owners, both for the materials from which they were made and for their contents, considered sacred and protective. Despite this high value (or perhaps precisely because of it), few examples of good quality and in good condition have survived. Similar medallions to this one are found only in a few important institutions such as the Valencia de Don Juan Foundation in Madrid, the National Museum of Decorative Arts (Madrid), the Lázaro Galdiano Museum (Madrid), the Museum of Beliefs and Popular Religiosity of the Aragonese Pyrenees (Abizanda, Huesca), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and others. They are also found in prominent religious institutions such as the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and the Royal Convent of Las Descalzas Reales in Madrid.

· Size: 6,5x10 cms.