Spain 1570-1620, Kiss Of Peace, Portapaz, Pax, Osculatory, Phylactery, Solid Silver

Extremely rare solid silver kiss of peace or osculatory dating from the end of the sixteenth century or the beginning of the seventeenth century. Stylistically it belongs entirely to the Renaissance movement with most of its decorations borrowed from Roman antiquity. Like most of the kisses of peace, it takes up an episode from the life of Christ or Mary, in this specific case the Annunciation. We recognize in the central painting the Archangel Gabriel, the Holy Virgin and the Holy Spirit (dove in the center). Part of the pediment is missing and has perished in the almost 500 years that this beautiful object has spent on our earth. On the back is the original handle which shows some traces of old restorations. Kisses of peace from before 1650 are quite present in the treasures of churches in Spain but they are extremely rare on the art market. This kiss of peace or portapaz as the Spanish call it, is an object which appeared in the Catholic liturgy from the thirteenth century. They are sometimes in solid silver, as here but also in vermeil, gilded bronze, carved wood or even ivory. These precious objects are generally used before the Agnus Dei to transmit the peace of Christ to believers before communion recalling the Gospel of Saint Matthew: "If you are going to present your offering to the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, go first and be reconciled…" (Mt 5,23-24). In order to transmit the peace of the Lord to all, the priests first kissed the altar stone and then kissed this kiss of peace or osculatory which was then presented by a deacon to the believers who kissed it in turn. This solemn rite replaces the physical and natural kiss of peace that the first Christians gave each other during the mass since the beginning of Christianity as we read in several letters of Saint Paul who exhorts the faithful to greet each other with a kiss: "Greet one another with a holy kiss" (Rm 16,16; 1 Cor 16,20; 2 Cor 13,12; 1 Th 5,26). During the seventeenth century the presentation of a kiss of peace lost its popularity gradually and with great differences according to the times and the countries. Slowly also relics begin to find a place in these osculatories and they take a form of phylactery or reliquary that is presented to the believers. Use which still survived during burials in my native Flanders when I was an altar boy. The Second Vatican Council fully restored the gesture of reconciliation before communion but rather by a handshake or a kiss as at the beginning of Christianity. It is the oldest object in my inventory. It weighs 255 grams.