RELIQUARY Help Please

I recently bought this square little reliquary 6cm x 6 cm x 6 cm
I don’t know anything much about them but was intrigued by the porcelain plaque of a lady and the Heraldic symbols
I wonder if anyone can shed any holy light on this item
I would be eternally grateful

 

It looks like silver. Are you certain there are no hallmarks?

 

I can’t see any hallmarks ,I’ve been told it tests as silver with gold around the medals , porcelain plaque etc

 

I had a reliquary a long time ago. The relic receptacle looked similar to yours in terms of surrounding decoration.



The person who bought it told me they thought it was probably Swiss and from the first half of the 19th C. I don't know how good that information was, or how long decoration like that might have been used.

 

The "lady" on the plaque is likely to be the "saint" whose relic is contained in the box. Looks like she may be holding a paper with writing on it. That may give clues to who she is.

 

There's a label next to the relic that also has writing on it. With my piece, the labels named the saint. (Yeah to checking the portrait.)

 

Whoever she is, she's got her ducks in a row.

 

That is very interesting thank you

 

Thank you will investigate further

 

Very funny

 

The initials are D.M.L
Thank you

 

Does this box open? Looks like the surface with the crest might be hinged.

 

the woman on the plaque is most probably the benefactrix of the convent. the crown seems to indicate at least a duchess.
cross - heart with flames - ancor are faith, hope, charity.

the crest needs searching; form touches me as French at the moment, but could be anywhere.

the one from moreother could be from anywhere, but I tend to Alpine regions, especially Austria where they had a whole industry under Habsburg rule.

 

so, what's with the Maltese cross?

 

Not a Maltese cross, Komo - it's a cross pattée...

~Cheryl

 

Oh, that's different then..!
Thanks !!

 

That’s all very interesting , food for thought thank you