Print page | Email lot to a friend
Back to previous pageLOT 1831
Estimate
GBP (£) 500 - 700
EUR (€) 580 - 810
USD ($) 670 - 940
19TH CENTURY A.D. OR EARLIER
2 in. (30.9 grams, 51 mm).
Presenting a scalloped frame and bifacial black enamelled detailing: one side with the Crucifixion scene, niello 'IC XC' in the field, two saints at the foot of the cross, scrolling borders; the reverse with 'IC XC / NI KA' over two lines with cross between; articulate and facetted loop.
PROVENANCE:
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
LITERATURE:
Cf. for reliquary pendant in similar style see the British Museum, London, museum no. AF.354, for a 6th century reliquary from Constantinople.
FOOTNOTES:
A small reliquary pendant, possibly containing the remains of cloth or bone of a saint. The relics had to be kept in containers that expressed the dignity of their contents: chests, cases and, of course, reliquaries. This also applied to personal relics, often in the form of pendants, which were sometimes made in gold and silver.
TimeLine Auctions follows a rigorous vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.




