Museum - Hunting Reliquary - Reliquary, Sainte Foy De Conques - Sterling Silver - Goldsmith

Second Half of the 19th century Spanish Goldsmith Superb reliquary statue representing Sainte Foy de Conques in solid silver, Hallmarked with the weevil. Sainte Foy is represented on her throne in majesty, her removable head forming a reliquary. It is enhanced with hard stones, agates and colored glass. The Saint is attached to the throne by a screw concealed by a blue stone. Reduced-scale goldsmith's reproduction of The Statue-reliquary of Saint Foy, especially called The Majesty of Saint Foy, is a reliquary which was located in the Sainte-Foy abbey church in Conques in Aveyron. It is a statuette 85 cm high (this one measures 28.6 cm), made of yew wood, covered with gold, gilded silver, enamel (notably the blue pupils) and set with gems which enshrines the noblest relic of Saint Foy, her skull. This masterpiece of goldsmithing, of exceptional interest, is the centerpiece of the treasure contained in the Romanesque abbey church of Conques, mainly because it happens to be the only Carolingian “Majesty” that has reached us. History of Sainte Foy de Conques: Sainte Foy Virgin and Martyr (3rd century) Sainte Foy was born around 290 in Agen and belonged to a Gallo-Roman noble family. She was instructed in the truths of the faith by her nurse. Subsequently, she asked Saint Caprais to baptize her without her family knowing. She devoted her time to praying and helping those most in need. In 303, Dacian, prefect of Agen, relaunched the persecutions against Christians by promulgating an edict “every Christian must be denounced and will be punished immediately”. She was denounced by her father for having declared herself a Christian. She underwent the ordeal on the bed of brass to be burned, but the rain extinguished the fire. She was beheaded on October 6. She is a true martyr who defended her faith in Jesus Christ, until death, in Agen. But she was hardly talked about outside the region. Until the day when a monk from Conques, in Rouergue, came to steal his relics from the church of Sainte Foy d'Agen to take them to his abbey which lacked them to attract pilgrims. This was done in the Middle Ages, out of enthusiasm for holiness. From then on the abbey experienced great prosperity and as it was on the pilgrims' route to Santiago de Compostela, the 'Jacquets' stopped to pray in front of the beautiful golden statue which contained the skull of the martyr. She was famous in France then in Spain and Portugal. From there the conquistadors made it known in the Americas. There are many cities that could reference his name: Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz in Argentina, Santa Fe de Bogota in Colombia, and many others in Mexico, Chile and Brazil. Condition: missing a stone at the top of the scepter held in his left hand Dimensions: Height: 28.6 cm Weight: 1032 g