Arm Reliquary of Saint Pantaleon
From AudreyWiki
| Artist: | Anonymous (Rhenish) |
| Created: | late 13th century with 15th century additions |
| Medium: | gilded silver with rock crystal, semiprecious stones, glass and niello |
| Dimensions: | 18 9/16 x 5 1/16 x 3 5/8 in. (47.2 x 12.8 x 9.2 cm) |
| Credit Line: | Acquired by Henry Walters, 1920 |
| Accession No.: | 57.688 |
| Description: | This silver arm is known as a "speaking" reliquary because it takes shape of the body part it once contained. The reliquary reputedly held an arm bone of Saint Pantaleon, a "Holy Doctor" martyred in Asia Minor (AD 305) who later became the patron saint of physicians. The remains of an inscription along the seam of the sleeve refer to the saint by name. The small door with the two glass shields was added in the 15th century, as was the crystal at the edge of the sleeve. |
| Culture: | Rhenish |
| Period: | Medieval |
| Country: | Germany |
| Style: | Gothic |
Contents |
Description
This reliquary once held the arm bone of Saint Pantaleon according to the incomplete inscription in niello on the narrow silver strip ornamenting the seam of the sleeve. It reads: I PANTALEONIS + AVE (of Pantaleon, greetings). The hand of this reliquary makes the gesture of benediction of the Roman Catholic Church, an appropriate one for Saint Pantaleon, a Christian doctor who, according to his legend, miraculously healed people with his touch. Saint Pantaleon had been the imperial physician of Roman Emperor Galerius or Maximian and was condemned to death in 305 AD by Emperor Diocletian who interpreted his healing powers as a display of magic-working. Saint Pantaleon's relics were believed to extend healing powers to the faithful who saw or touched them. His arm is represented clad in two sleeves similar to those worn by deacons and bishops; a pleated inner sleeve resembling the linen alb and a shorter, wide sleeve without folds like the sleeve of a dalmatic.
Materials and Techniques
According to the 1998 examination of the Arm Reliquary of Saint Pantaleon by conservator Yunhui Mao,[1] the arm reliquary is made from beaten sheet silver placed over and attached to a sculpted wooden core. Xeroradiographic examination of the reliquary shows that the wooden core is a single block of wood carved into the shape of the hand, arm, and two overlapping sleeves. One sheet of silver covers the arm, a second covers the wrist, and six more cover the hand; these silver sheets are attached to the wooden core with handmade silver nails. Two additional silver strips are used at the joint between hand and wrist and between the wrist and arm and are fastened with silver nails. There is a hollow chamber in the arm for holding relics, but no relics remain in this chamber.
Date
In her 1998 examination, conservator Yunhui Mao observed a series of modifications made to this arm reliquary.[2]
In its original state, the relic chamber could be accessed through the bottom of the arm. In the 15th century, a portion of the first chamber was blocked off with wooden walls to make a smaller chamber and a door was added for access to the relics through the sleeve.
The use of mercury gilding and the filigree design applied in borders and decorative quatrefoils used on the sleeves are characteristic of 13th century, as are the inlays of semi-precious stones on the sleeve borders and the black glass on the quatrefoils; however the nails used to attach the borders and quatrefoils to the reliquary are machine-made brass and iron and differ greatly from the hand made silver nails used to attach the silver sheets to the wooden core. The machine-made nails suggest the filigree borders and quatrefoils were applied to the reliquary at a later date. Indeed, one of the quatrefoils was applied over the rim of the door added in the 15th century, indicating the quatrefoils were added after the 15th century door was installed.
References
- ↑ Walters Art Museum, conservation files for object 57.688
- ↑ Walters Art Museum, conservation files for object 57.688
Provenance
A. Tollin, Paris; Chevallier & Mannheim, Paris, May 20-21, 1897, no. 79 and plate 6; Robert Hoe, New York; American Art Association, New York, February 15, 1911, no. 1813; Harding, New York; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1920, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
