Paris, 1819–1838,sterlisilver And Vermeil, Sun-shaped Monstrance, 63 Cm, In Its Original Case,

Large solid silver-gilt monstrance – Paris, 1819–1838

Restoration period – Vermeil

A significant solid silver-gilt, or vermeil, monstrance crafted in Paris during the first half of the 19th century. It bears the French hallmarks of first fineness and the Paris guarantee mark in use between 1819 and 1838.

Of particularly imposing dimensions, this monstrance features a spectacular composition dominated by a vast, radiant halo. The niche designed to hold the Blessed Sacrament is surrounded by clouds filled with cherub heads, from which a multitude of straight rays emanate. The whole is surmounted by a large cross.

Beneath the niche appear ears of wheat and bunches of grapes, quintessential Eucharistic symbols, evoking the bread and wine that, in the Catholic liturgy, become the Body and Blood of Christ. This symbolism continues on the base with a particularly remarkable depiction of the Paschal Lamb reclining on the Book of the Seven Seals, bearing the cross: the Agnus Dei of the Book of Revelation, an image of Christ sacrificed and victorious.

The frame rests on a broad quadrangular pedestal with overhanging feet, richly carved with water leaves, palmettes, fluting, friezes, and moldings. The shaft, also fluted, is punctuated by two cherub heads in high relief. This ornamental vocabulary remains largely indebted to the neoclassical taste of the late Louis XVI period, whose forms continued to exert a strong influence in the early decades of the 19th century.

This reference to the decorative repertoire of the Ancien Régime took on special significance during the Bourbon Restoration. Following the upheavals of the Revolution, which had led to the disappearance or melting down of a vast quantity of church silverware, the revival of the Catholic faith necessitated the renewal and refitting of numerous sanctuaries. Under Louis XVIII and then Charles X, Catholicism also regained a privileged place in the official life of the kingdom. This monstrance is a quintessential example of this period of renewal in French religious goldsmithing, combining a decorative style inherited from the 18th century with a particularly assertive Eucharistic iconography.

The object has survived to the present day in a remarkable state of preservation. The original gilding is still largely intact and retains a beautiful luster. The central lunette still features its beveled crystal lenses, a particularly notable feature on a liturgical object from this era.

Even more exceptional is the fact that the monstrance is accompanied by its large original black leather carrying case, entirely molded to its shape and lined on the inside with chamois leather. The fact that the monstrance, its crystals, and this imposing original case have all been preserved together makes this a set that has become particularly rare today.

France, Paris, 1819–1838
Solid silver gilded – vermeil
Paris first-class and hallmark marks.
Weight: 1,313 grams without the crystal
Very fine condition – original case preserved