BAROQUE SILVER RELIQUARY, RELIC ST.JOHN THE BAPTIST, (05/10/2011)...

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BAROQUE SILVER RELIQUARY, RELIC ST.JOHN THE BAPTIST,DOC

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BAROQUE SILVER RELIQUARY, RELIC ST.JOHN THE BAPTIST,DOC

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Sold Date: 05/10/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Fraternal, Political, Organizations

From the Private Collection of a Roman Monsignore - a spiritual treasure, worthy the treasury of a major Cathedral:

BEAUTIFUL BAROQUE SILVER RELIQUARY

WITH A RELIC OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

Rome, ca. 1740

From the private collection of a Roman Monsignore who passed down in September 2008: A beautiful 18th century silver front altar reliquary with many fine details, ca. 17 inches in height.

A beautiful piece is nearly 300 years old! It's front is of silver or thick silver plating and in excellent condition, given the high age. It rests on a gilt wooden foot.

In the center, behind crystal glass, surrounded by filigree "paperoles", is a silver theca, surrounded by a decorative spiral edge, sealed with the red wax seal of a Roman Curia Bishop.

The reliquary comes with a historic document, a handwritten certificate of ownership, from the late 18th century, stating:

"The present Reliquary is of the property of the House of Brancassi as one of many relics for the purpose of veneration if possible and devotion by L.E. (your Excellency), who are preserved in the family in question in a box with the authentic belonging to it."

Most probably this note was written after the French conquest in Italy and the Cisalpine Republic (1796-99), when the property of Churches and religious houses was confiscated by the French revolutionary troops. It seems that this reliquary once belonged to a Episcopal residence called "Casa Brancassi" and was hidden in the house of a devout family; the note had the purpose to verify the original owner for a later date.

Unfortunately the mentioned authentic got lost during the time.

The precious relic inside the silver theca is of:

S. Joannis Bap.

(of) St. John the Baptist (ca. 7/6 v.Chr. - ca. 28 AD),

forerunner of Our Lord

John the Baptist was the son of Zachary, a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of Mary who visited her. He was probably born at Ain-Karim southwest of Jerusalem after the Angel Gabriel had told Zachary that his wife would bear a child even though she was an old woman. He lived as a hermit in the desert of Judea until about A.D. 27. When he was thirty, he began to preach on the banks of the Jordan against the evils of the times and called men to penance and baptism "for the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand". He attracted large crowds, and when Christ came to him, John recognized Him as the Messiah and baptized Him, saying, "It is I who need baptism from You". When Christ left to preach in Galilee, John continued preaching in the Jordan valley. Fearful of his great power with the people, Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Perea and Galilee, had him arrested and imprisoned at Machaerus Fortress on the Dead Sea when John denounced his adultrous and incestuous marriage with Herodias, wife of his half brother Philip. John was beheaded at the request of Salome, daughter of Herodias, who asked for his head at the instigation of her mother. John inspired many of his followers to follow Christ when he designated Him "the Lamb of God," among them Andrew and John, who came to know Christ through John's preaching. John is presented in the New Testament as the last of the Old Testament prophets and the precursor of the Messiah. His feast day is June 24th and the feast for his beheading is August 29th.

As per Ebay's new rules, this item is allowed as it contains no human remains but objects of devotion; the relic is of chalk. Please note that you bid on the precious antique reliquary, the relic is a gift to the High Bidder. Please contact me if you have any questions.