8,050 CHF
Blois or Paris, circa 1640-50. Exceptionally fine and very rare 20K gold and painted on enamel reliquary locket, in morocco fitted box. Notes The word “relic” comes from the Latin “reliquiae” which was used to describe the remains of a departed saint. It is an old custom to worship the remains of a venerated figure. Plutarch gives an account of the translation of the bodies of Demetrius and Phocion. The bones or ashes of Aesculapius at Epi-daurus, and of Perdiccas I at Macedon were treated with the deepest veneration. In the Far East, the relics of Buddha began to circulate immediately after his death. Although the practice of collecting and venerating relics had its apogee during the Middle Ages, as the present reliquary locket demonstrates, it persisted for some time afterward.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2004-04-24
