Religious Antiques

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:

• Liturgical religious antiquities. . They are those employed in the Christian or Catholic ecclesiastical liturgy. The Eucharist is the fundamental ritual of Christianity, the one during which the priest converts the bread (the host) and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. The believers then share both in remembrance of the Last Supper, during which Jesus Christ performed the same ritual with the twelve apostles. In the liturgy, items such as the chalice, ciboria and cruets are used. The chalice contains the consecrated wine, and the ciborium, the bread. The cruets are used to contain two liquids: the wine before its consecration and the water for the cleaning of the chalice. Among the religious antiques related to the Eucharist we find antique chalices, antique ciboria and antique cruets, usually made of carved solid silver (although sometimes they include parts of silver-plated metal). The cup of chalices and ciboria (the upper part that goes over the stem) should always be covered with gold on the inside, since it will be in contact with the consecrated bread and wine. On the other hand, the antique monstrances serve to guard the host once consecrated and display it before the faithful for adoration.
• Ornamental religious antiques. . Among this type of pieces we find items that combine a practical function with a decorative one, such as antique reliquaries. On the other hand, we can also highlight other religious collectibles such as paintings and pictures, antique missals, triptychs and tables, magnificent silver and ivory crucifixes, medals and scapulars, memorials...

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.