18th Century Italian Carved Monstrance Reliquary Tabernacle

Details

Description

Important and historic, acquired from the estate of legendary American businessman, the late T. Boone Pickens, we're proud to offer … Read more Important and historic, acquired from the estate of legendary American businessman, the late T. Boone Pickens, we're proud to offer this exceptional carved giltwood reliquary - monstrance from the early 18th century.

Elaborately hand carved in period Rococo - Rocaille taste, with superb scrollwork, openwork, fanciful acanthus leaf and shell, ornate detailing, polychrome painted warm pastel colors, now beautifully distressed, muted tones, with remnants of gold gilded accents.

Pieces such as this were used in early churches for convenient exhibition or public display of some object of piety and other important religious relics.

Circa 1720, Northern Italy

An exceptional example, that presents splendidly, with an abundance of curves, counter-curves, undulation and asymmetrical design, rich carvings, warmth, elegantly aged patina.

Provenance:
Acquired from the estate of the late T. Boone Pickens (1928-2019). An American business magnate, billionaire, financier, and philanthropist.

Dimensions: (approx)
10"H, 6.25"W, 2.5"D

Acquisition:
J. Garrett Auctioneers had the pleasure of presenting Pickens' collection of 18th and 19th Century furnishings and accessories. This piece comes from the iconic Texas and Oklahoma oil tycoons Dallas home.

The breadth of T. Boone Pickens' career is impressive. He built one of the largest independent natural gas oil companies in the United States and flourished as an entrepreneur thereafter, generating hundreds of billions of dollars in the process. Among his lengthy accolades, Time magazine has identified him one of its "100 Most Influential People", Financial World named him "CEO of the Decade" in 1989, and Oil and Gas Investor identified him as one of the "100 Most Influential People of the Petroleum Century."

A reliquary (also referred to as a shrine or by the French term châsse) is a container for the church's important relics. These may be the purported or actual physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures. Medieval Roman Catholic monstrances also known as an ostensorium, were more varied in form and typically had a crystal cylinder or window in the center of the stand, normally a small round glass the size of a Host, through which the Blessed Sacrament can be seen. Behind this glass is a round container made of glass and gilded metal, called a lunette, which holds the Host securely in place. When not in the monstrance, the Host in its luna is placed in a special standing container. See less