Antique Gilded Silver Ciborium By Pedro Durán, Madrid, Spain, 1955

This magnificent Spanish liturgical ciborium made in 1955 is a true jewel of twentieth-century sacred silverwork. Crafted by the renowned workshop Pedro Durán e Hijos in Madrid, it is entirely made of solid silver with a spectacular gilded finish and bears official hallmarks clearly visible on both the base and the upper rim of the vessel. The execution is of outstanding quality, and its excellent state of preservation makes it a unique piece, suitable both for liturgical use and for collectors.

The hexagonal base features vegetal ornamental reliefs executed with great mastery, alternating scrolls, palmettes and stems that enhance its classical beauty. Particularly noteworthy is the engraved dedication at the base: “D. DIONISIO GARCÍA MARQUÉS Y SEÑORA AL HOSPITAL DE VILLAFRANCA DEL BIERZO, JUNIO DE 1955” . ("Mr. Dionisio García Marqués and his wife to the Hospital of Villafranca del Bierzo, June 1955") which confirms it was a donated piece, adding significant historical and devotional value. Rising from this base is a solid stem with a beautifully decorated central knop, leading to the cup which is also adorned with palmettes in relief and a deeply chiselled upper frieze of floral motifs.

The lid, which fits perfectly into the cup, is crowned by an openwork Latin cross and follows the same ornamental language. The interior of the ciborium is in excellent condition, mirror-polished and completely clean, ideal for immediate liturgical use. Despite its age, there is no wear to the gilding or dents, and the relief work remains sharp. The total weight of the piece, 846 grams, confirms its solid silver content, supported by the hallmarks. Among them are the characteristic hallmark of Pedro Durán e Hijos, and the official Spanish silver marks from the same period.

A piece of this kind stands out not only for its majesty and elegance but also for its large capacity, making it highly practical for celebrations with high attendance. Its preservation is exceptional, with no cracks, no looseness and a solid structure. The warm-toned gilding retains its intensity and shine with no oxidation or loss. It is a clear example of the high standards that characterized the Madrid workshop during the 1950s and is a highly sought-after piece among parishes, collectors and lovers of religious silverwork.

A magnificent opportunity to acquire a solid, devotional and timelessly beautiful object. This ciborium would be perfect for reintroducing into the Church or for use in a parish.

Dimensions: 26 × 14 × 12 cm (10.24 × 5.51 × 4.72 in). Weight: 846 g.

History of Pedro Durán

Pedro Durán Morales was one of the great names in Spanish silverwork at the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century. He founded his workshop in Madrid in 1886 and, from the very beginning, focused on producing high-quality silver pieces for a bourgeois and ecclesiastical clientele. Thanks to his mastery of repoussé, chasing and fine engraving, his firm quickly gained notoriety, creating both utilitarian and decorative objects as well as large-scale religious commissions. Throughout his career, Pedro Durán stood out for incorporating historicist styles into his work, such as Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque and later Art Deco, always maintaining a personal hallmark of technical excellence and ornamental richness.

After the founder’s death in the 1930s, the company became known as Pedro Durán e Hijos, continuing the same tradition of quality and elegance. During this second phase, between the 1940s and 1970s, the workshop remained specialized in religious pieces, including monstrances, ciboria, chalices, reliquaries and other liturgical elements, often made for parishes and religious hospitals. The pieces from this period are usually hallmarked with the distinctive emblem of the house: a two-handled Greek urn inside a hexagon.

The company also took part in exhibitions and trade fairs, consolidating its reputation as a synonym of quality and tradition.

In the second half of the twentieth century, Durán diversified its production toward high-end jewelry, contemporary design and art auctions, founding Durán Arte y Subastas in 1969. Today, the brand remains active as Durán Joyeros, though it is no longer involved in the artisanal production of religious silverware that earned its fame. The history of Pedro Durán is, therefore, the story of a firm that knew how to combine tradition, technique and artistic sensibility in each of its creations, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of Spanish silversmithing.

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