Exceptional Gothic Reliquary In Wax. 14th/15th Century. France. Claramontensis.

Spectacular reliquary in wax, with sculpted reliefs on the front and back. It features figures from medieval times, a King flanked by monks and a Queen among nuns. The characters are represented standing, they wear period clothes, the King and Queen wear a crown with trefoil motifs. On the female side, at the level of the queen's belly, a large piece of bone, of unknown ownership, is kept behind a Gothic screen door closed by an original cord which seals a single-sided wax seal. This one shows the silhouette of a bishop in the center and the legend "Claramontensis - Sigillum Curieo". The condition of the rope and the seal seem intact. The room is quite large, measuring 28 centimeters in height; 15.5 wide and 5 cm thick. The inner chapel measures 7 x 4.5 centimeters. The base is finished in wood. The state of the wax is good, it has defects, slight detachments, cracks and openings typical of the material and of the time. No significant damage observed. It weighs 758 grams. All the elements of the piece suggest that it would be a French work from the 14th century from the Auvergne region, county of Cléremont, and with possible Templar connotations. We justify the dating by basing ourselves on an in-depth study of the piece, typical of Romanesque art in this region of France, both by the face of the piece itself and by the seal that hangs. It brings together all the characteristics of the decorative arts of this period, in an area of Templar influence. Regarding the relic, we understand that it is a very important personality, considering that it is kept in the womb of the queen, with a representation of the king and with the religious presence of the monks and nuns who guard the two characters. It is possible that it is a Saint Queen of France, and behind her husband. The fact of not carrying an identifier should not confuse us. Perhaps its elaboration was of such importance at the time that the place where it was venerated did not require it, either because it was part of a place of worship bearing its name, or because 'it was commanded by royalty or the clergy of the first order. ., domains very close in the Middle Ages. The seal completes on the one hand the episcopal permission and on the other hand the guarantee of not having been opened or altered. Wax work has been practiced in Europe since the High Middle Ages, its main development being the sculpture of faces, masks and elements related to death. Due to the characteristics of the material, its conservation is difficult. We think it is a museum piece, from the high period, unusual in its material and of extraordinary beauty.