Small Paperolles Reliquary In A Round Horn Box, Late 19th–early 20th Century

Small travel reliquary made using the "paperolles" technique, featuring a small central figure housed in a circular horn box.
Please note that the box is damaged in places; the paperolles are in good condition.

Date: late 19th to early 20th century.

Dimensions: H 2 x Diam. 4.5 cm

This small travel reliquary is a devotional object intended to preserve and protect relics—that is, fragments associated with a saint. Its decoration is created using the paperolles technique: thin strips of paper, often gilded, are cut, rolled, and assembled to form decorative relief patterns.

Widely practiced in convents beginning in the Renaissance, this technique saw significant development in the 17th and 18th centuries. In particular, nuns crafted small reliquary panels using modest materials to create exquisite decorations reminiscent of goldsmithing.

Small in size and easily portable, the travel reliquary allowed one to keep a relic close at hand, display it in a private setting, or take it along while traveling.

These objects thus bear witness not only to personal, daily devotion but also to the meticulous craftsmanship developed within religious communities.