Carved Boxwood Reliquary Cross Of The Passion – Southern Germany, 18th Century

Carved boxwood Passion reliquary cross – Southern Germany, 18th century

Rare, finely carved boxwood reliquary cross, an 18th-century work from Southern Germany.

Description

The front face features a particularly rich iconography of the Passion. Christ on the cross, carved in high relief, dominates the Virgin Mary, Mater Dolorosa, depicted at the foot of the Cross in an attitude of sorrow and contemplation.

At the top appears God the Father, blessing and holding the cruciferous globe. The dove of the Holy Spirit, placed below him, thus completes a representation of the Holy Trinity. The inscription INRI appears immediately above Christ.

Two small openings in the cross—one in the shape of a radiating heart, the other circular—allow a glimpse of the items preserved inside the reliquary.

The most distinctive feature of this piece lies in its construction: the cross serves as a true reliquary with a secret compartment. Carved, removable panels on the reverse side reveal a long interior cavity that still contains a significant collection of small bundles and relics, accompanied by fragments of paper or tituli, threads, textiles, and metal ornaments. However, in the absence of an authentic document or currently legible tituli, we cannot with certainty attribute these items to specific saints.

The reverse side is itself meticulously carved with the Arma Christi, the instruments of the Passion: notably, the cross, the spear, the sponge, the ladder, and various other emblems associated with the Passion narrative can be distinguished. This decoration continues on the sliding panels that close the reliquary compartment.

The delicacy of the carving, the highly expressive rendering of the faces, the deeply carved drapery, and the richness of the iconographic program are characteristic of devotional objects produced in the Catholic regions of southern Germany in the 18th century, likely in a Bavarian or Swabian context.

Period: 18th century
Origin: Southern Germany
Material: carved boxwood
Height: 30 cm

Condition:

Good overall condition considering its age; previous restorations and a small loss. Wear, cracks, and irregularities consistent with its age. Reliquary compartment and interior elements preserved. Hanging ring at the top.

In accordance with canon law (can. 1190 §1), this sale pertains solely to the reliquary as an object of sacred art. The relics it contains are not the subject of the transaction but are included free of charge for their historical and cultural value.

Please feel free to contact me for any additional information or to request more photos of the items offered for sale.