Antique Neo-Gothic Religious Triptych in Carved Bone, Valencia, Spain, circa 1900

Antique Neo-Gothic Religious Triptych in Carved Bone, Valencia ca. 1900

This magnificent neo-Gothic religious triptych, hand-carved in buffalo bone and made in Valencia around 1900, is a sacred artwork of remarkable presence and delicacy. The central panel features the Virgin Mary standing with the Child Jesus in her arms. Both are placed under a pointed arch, flanked by two musician angels: one plays a lute and the other holds cymbals, creating a scene of celestial harmony and divine music. The faces of the figures are carved with great sensitivity, showing a classical tenderness typical of Mediterranean religious art.

On either side, in the folding panels, there are two male saints. One holds a fish in his left hand, an iconographic symbol traditionally associated with Saint Peter, while the other carries a rolled scroll. Both also hold a book in their right hand, a sign of wisdom and doctrine. The figures are housed in finely decorated Gothic niches, topped with openwork tracery and pinnacles that reproduce the aesthetics of medieval altarpieces.

The entire scene is carved in clear and fine high relief, accompanied by decorative richness that covers the pointed arches as well as floral and heraldic details. In the central lower frieze, beneath the Virgin, stands out the coat of arms of the city of Valencia with its vertical stripes, an unmistakable symbol of the origin of this work. This detail makes the piece a cultural and artistic testimony of a specific time, evoking both popular devotion and regional pride.

The piece closes like a book thanks to its side hinges, allowing both protection and open display. It can be hung using the rear cord or displayed standing on a shelf or domestic altar. The warm patina of the buffalo bone reveals the passage of time, giving character to this unique piece. A fine vertical crack is observed in the upper central part of the main panel, which does not affect the structural integrity or its extraordinary aesthetic value. On the contrary, it enhances its authenticity and age.

The religious triptych is an artistic form of medieval origin that became established as a portable altarpiece for personal or liturgical use. It appeared in Europe in the thirteenth century and became common during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Flanders, Italy, and the Iberian Peninsula. Its three-body design allowed it to be closed like a book, protecting the interior images, which made it very suitable for travel and private prayer in small oratories.

The subjects represented were always sacred, highlighting scenes from the life of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and representations of patron saints. Gothic and neo-Gothic triptychs retained an aesthetic marked by verticality, symmetry, and the use of pointed arches and tracery. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there was a revival of these traditional forms.

These types of objects were common in Catholic homes, sacristies, convents, and private chapels. Today, these works have become highly prized by collectors of sacred art and by those who value religious heritage as a testimony to an aesthetic and spiritual sensibility that has endured for centuries.

A unique devotional piece that unites art, faith and heritage. It would be perfect to reintroduce into the Church, to be used in a parish, or to enrich a sacred collection with a genuine work of great symbolic power and historical value.

Do not miss this opportunity to acquire a piece with such spiritual strength and artisanal quality.

Measurements: 23.8 cm x 27 cm (9.37 in x 10.63 in)