Religious antiques occupy a relevant place in the collecting of period pieces. In addition to their historical interest, and of course, their spiritual significance, these objects often have fantastic designs that make them highly prized pieces. On the other hand, religious antiques are often made of noble and valuable materials, such as solid ...
Religious antiques occupy a relevant place in the collecting of period pieces. In addition to their historical interest, and of course, their spiritual significance, these objects often have fantastic designs that make them highly prized pieces. On the other hand, religious antiques are often made of noble and valuable materials, such as solid silver, gold and even precious stones. The attractiveness of these materials and the magnificent workmanship of the objects make these antiques not only collector's items, but also highly aesthetic and decorative items that any lover of art and craftsmanship will appreciate.
Among religious antiquities, most of the pieces we are dealing with correspond to the Catholic religion. This branch of Christianity stands out for an intense use of ritual and ornamentation; for this reason, for centuries Catholicism has generated countless works of the first order created by the best artists and craftsmen. From the impressive silver chalices used in ecclesiastical ritual, to works created by painters of the stature of Titian or Velazquez, the profusion of valuable religious antiquities that exist today is truly unfathomable.
There is also an important field of religious antiquities from non-Christian cults. We can find beautiful statues dedicated to Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), which stand out for their spirituality and attention to detail; centuries-old figures related to the Hindu religion, such as images of the god Ganesha (elephant-headed deity related to wisdom); jade or bronze medals with Shinto reliefs, from Japan... All kinds of delicate items endowed with a deep spiritual meaning.
Types of religious antiques
In the vast field of religious antiques (especially as far as the Catholic religion is concerned), we find different pieces with very different functions. From purely ornamental items intended to decorate churches, houses, chapels, sacristies or other spaces, to objects of functional use that are part of ecclesiastical rituals or serve to guard or certain pieces, there is a great variety of typologies. The most notable would be:
Religious antiques make up a field as broad as it is interesting, perfect for lovers of period pieces that combine beauty, sentiment and antiquity. These types of items give rise to wonderful collections, as varied as they are unique.
Magnificent silver enameled ciborium dedicated to Saint John Bosco. Historic piece in excellent condition. Magnificent silver enameled ciborium...
Stylish gilt-silver chalice with enamels and precious stones. Once it belonged to a bishop. Stylish gilt-silver chalice with...
Amazing Spanish silver monstrance with real diamonds. Rare and attractive design. Well preserved. Amazing Spanish silver monstrance...
Outstanding polychrome wood sculpture of the Madonna and Child. In hand-carved mahogany niche. Really beautiful. Outstanding polychrome wood sculpture...
Spectacular hand-engraved silver chalice. With high-quality paten. Exclusive liturgical set. Spectacular hand-engraved silver...
Striking silver chalice with filigree decoration and original enamels. With silver paten. Striking silver chalice with filigree...
Superb gilt-silver chalice with engraved decoration all over its surface. Baroque period. Very ancient. Superb gilt-silver chalice with...
Striking neo-gothic-style silver chalice with enameled decoration. In fine condition. Special item. Striking neo-gothic-style silver...
Gorgeous silver chalice with colorful enamels and green stones. With silver paten. Gorgeous silver chalice with colorful...
Fine antique gilt-silver chalice with enamels. Silver paten. Hallmarks on both pieces. Fine antique gilt-silver chalice with...
Amazing silver chalice with enamels. Made by Favier. With a beautiful gilt-silver paten. Amazing silver chalice with enamels....
Outstanding French silver chalice decorated with enamels, silver filigrees and precious stones. In exceptional condition. Outstanding French silver chalice...
Fine gilt-silver chalice with enameled foot and embossed motifs. In good condition. With antique paten. Fine gilt-silver chalice with...
Gorgeous silver chalice with engravings at the foot and the cup. Entirely decorated. With hallmarks. Gorgeous silver chalice with...
Fine Spanish chalice from the mid-20th century, probably made of alpaca. With paten. Marked. Fine Spanish chalice from the...
Rare Spanish-Philippine ivory Christ...