RELIQUARY PENDANT WITH FLAGELLATION OF CHRIST. SILVER, ENAMEL. 16TH CENTURY.

Reliquary with "Flagellation of Christ". Silver, enamel. 16th century. Oval reliquary pendant decorated on the exterior with a plain band and relief elements on the rim (with curved profiles and engraved simple scrolls), featuring a chain of smooth, oval links (all virtually identical). The front and back display two figurative scenes with striking polychromy. On one side, Christ is depicted in the center of the composition, bound to a tall column and being whipped by two henchmen or soldiers with branches, following a composition common in the 16th century. On the other side, the focal point is a niche in the pendant protected by glass (since it contains a relic, highlighted by a Latin cross), emphasized in the composition with rays of light and a beam of luminosity; this element appears held by an angel and surrounded by winged heads (common in the Renaissance) floating among clouds, and is accompanied by Saint Joseph with the Child and the Flowering Staff, and Saint Anthony of Padua (also with the Child and a bouquet of flowers). These types of jewelry have always been highly valued, both for the materials used in their creation and for their religious significance. Despite this (or perhaps because of it), few examples of high quality and in good condition survive, and they can only be found in important private collections and prominent museums such as the Valencia de Don Juan Foundation in Madrid, the National Museum of Decorative Arts in the same city, etc., or in historic religious centers like the Royal Convent of the Barefoot Nuns in Madrid. Weight: 160 gr

· Size: 8x1x10 cms.