Rare Reliquary Arm, Repoussé Silver-plated Metal, France—16th Or Early 17th Century

Theveneration of relics in the Catholic faith reached its peak during the MiddleAges, particularly with the rise of pilgrimages, and continued largely into the19th century. The production of reliquaries – as objects of devotionand prestige for religious communities – therefore increased throughout theMiddle Ages to meet this growing demand.Here wehave a rare example of a reliquary arm: the relic was originally housed behinda glass medallion decorated with a stylised garland of foliage, tied withribbons to form a wreath. This type of oval opening can be seen, for example,on the reliquary arm of Saint Marcoul housed in the church of Archelange (Jura), this time without the garland. As for the clothing that adorns ourreliquary arm, it forms a drape with wide folds like that of a 16th-centuryreliquary arm housed in the parish church of Saint-Geniès (Occitanie).The whole piece rests on a more recent blackened wooden base.Objects ofthis type date back to the 13th century, such as the arm of SaintLandélin, which is housed in the church at Crespin (Nord). There arealso similar objects made of wood, and therefore of a more common design, suchas the reliquary arm of Saint Druon housed in the Church of Saint-Marcel inCottenchy (Somme) ; it is made of gilded wood and features a stylisedoval opening through which the relic is visible.A truemasterpiece of goldsmithing, our reliquary arm thus embodies the enduringtradition of relic veneration. Its shape, drapery and stylised medallion makeit a remarkable example amongst the various reliquary arms known today.