Cross - Reliquary (theca “of The True Cross,” Southern Germany (augsburg), Ca. 1700)

Large Baroque reliquary cross

Southern Germany, probably Augsburg, circa 1700

Blackened wood, silver, and partially gilded silver; substantial base adorned with repoussé, chiseled, and openwork copper fittings, silver-plated and partially gilded.

Monumental devotional cross resting on a richly architectured, multi-tiered base. The blackened wooden cross bears a finely modeled silver Christ (23.5 cm x 17.5 cm), surmounted by a partially gilded INRI cartouche set against a radiant halo. The ends of the cross are adorned with openwork silver appliqués; on the lower part of the crossbeam is a small relief effigy of a saint surrounded by a halo.

The base, which is particularly elaborate, is entirely decorated with scrollwork, foliage, and interlaced motifs in the Baroque style. Behind a silver medallion, it houses a reliquary capsule containing a relic of the True Cross (Lignum Crucis).

A beautiful and imposing example of Baroque sacred art, combining the functions of an altar cross and a reliquary.
Shows signs of use (minor losses in the decoration on the base).