French Reliquary Medallion – Saint Ouen Of Rouen And Saint Bertrand – 19th Century – 4.5 Cm

Welcome to my shop. I’d like to present this remarkable 19th-century French reliquary medallion.

This circular reliquary contains two small fragments of relics, arranged on diamond-shaped pieces of paper. The inscriptions appear to read:

“ S. Adouën, É.”—likely Saint Audoin or Adouin, better known as Saint Ouen, Bishop of Rouen.

“S. Bertrand, É.”—likely Saint Bertrand of Comminges, also a bishop.

The French abbreviation “É.” stands for bishop.

The relics are surrounded by thin strips of paper in shades of red and gold, embellished with small decorative beads. The entire piece is protected by glass and set in a richly decorated gilded metal frame. The edge of the medallion is set with faceted glass stones.

On the reverse side, the ecclesiastical seal in red wax and the red authentication threads are still visible. These threads pass through small openings in the side of the frame and appear to be intact. The seal is protected by a finely decorated, removable metal cover.

Dimensions

Diameter: 4.5 cm

Condition

The reliquary medallion is in good vintage condition, with normal signs of age and use. One of the faceted glass stones was likely replaced in the past and differs slightly from the others. The suspension ring is broken. Originally, this medallion was likely worn as a pendant or kept as a personal devotional object.

The glass, the interior contents, the red wax seal, and the authentication threads are all still present. No ecclesiastical certificate or separate document of authenticity accompanies the reliquary.

A beautiful French devotional object, particularly of interest to collectors of relics, religious art, and antique monastic works.

Thank you for visiting my shop.

With warm regards,
Ben

Keywords: French relic, reliquary, medallion, reliquary medallion, paperoles, Saint Ouen, Rouen, Saint Audoin, Saint Adouin, Saint Bertrand, bishop, gilded metal, faceted glass stones, wax seal, authentication threads, religious art, devotional object, 19th century