Rare French Reliquary Of Blessed Jean-gabriel Perboyre, Circa 1890

A beautiful and unusual, richly decorated French reliquary dedicated to Blessed Jean-Gabriel Perboyre (1802–1840), a Lazarist priest, missionary, and martyr in China.

In the center, beneath a flat glass cover, lies a dark fragment of a relic resting on a red cloth and surrounded by delicate metal ornamentation. The original label bears the inscription “Bx Perboyre,” where the abbreviation “Bx” stands for Blessed.

Jean-Gabriel Perboyre was beatified in 1889 and canonized only in 1996. This reliquary was therefore made between those two dates. Based on its style and craftsmanship, it can likely be dated to around 1890–1910.

The reliquary features an ornate openwork frame of gilded metal, decorated with flowers, foliage, and stylized fleur-de-lis motifs. The presence of two original hanging rings, located on two different sides, is particularly unusual. They allowed the reliquary to be carried or suspended both vertically and horizontally. This dual suspension capability is rarely found on antique reliquaries.

The reverse side retains its authentic ecclesiastical seal in red wax. Three of the four red sealing threads are completely intact; one thread is broken. Thanks to the three remaining threads, the reliquary could not have been opened without further damaging the original seal. It therefore remains in its original sealed condition.

The reverse also bears the stamped number “480,” likely a former inventory or registration number.

The reliquary is in good historical condition, with normal signs of age and use. The original ecclesiastical seal is still present. No separate certificate of authenticity accompanies the object; the exact nature of the relic fragment is therefore not specified.

Dimensions:

Height with ring: 8.4 cm
Width with second ring: 5.8 cm
Thickness: 1.5 cm

Thank you for visiting. Best regards, Ben

Keywords:

French reliquary, Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, Blessed Perboyre, French missionary, martyr of China, religious art, ecclesiastical relic, sealed reliquary, 19th century