Teca-type Reliquary With Authentic Episcopal Seal – Ghent, 1864

Teca-type reliquary with episcopal authentication – Ghent, 1864.

Circular teca-type reliquary containing four relics ex ossibus arranged in a cross around a central hand-painted motif (a blue and red polylobed cross on a striated gold background).

Description:

Interior decoration in paper filigree and polychrome highlights, typical of 19th-century devotional productions.
The relics are identified by handwritten inscriptions under glass and correspond to those mentioned on the accompanying authentication:
- S. Anselmi → Saint Anselm (most likely Anselm of Canterbury).
- S. Bonifacii → Saint Boniface (bishop and martyr, apostle of Germany).
- S. Dionysii → Saint Denis (Dionysius, martyr; most likely Denis of Paris).
- S. Longini → Saint Longinus (the centurion of the Passion).

The fragments are mounted on an ornate background and protected under glass.
The reverse is closed and sealed with wire and an intact red episcopal wax seal bearing the arms of Henricus-Franciscus Bracq, Bishop of Ghent.

Authentication document included: Original authentic document on paper, dated Ghent, July 20, 1864, signed and sealed by Henricus-Franciscus Bracq, Bishop of Ghent, certifying the authenticity of the relics according to the prescriptions of the Council of Trent.

The document precisely describes:
– the nature of the relics,
– their placement in an oval reliquary made of metal, silver, and crystal,
– their sealing with wire and red episcopal wax,
– and authorizes their display for the private veneration of the faithful.
Well-preserved embossed episcopal seal.

Condition:

Good overall condition. - Glass in place. - Wax seal intact. - The document shows signs of wear consistent with its age.

In accordance with canon law (can. 1190 §1), this sale concerns only the reliquary as a sacred work of art.
The relics it contains are not the subject of the transaction, but are included free of charge for their historical and cultural value.

Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further information or to request additional photos of the items offered for sale.