Monstrances, Obviously

Monstrances- stemming from the Latin word mostrare- "to show" do just that. They are a category of beautiful liturgical objects known as reliquaries, which house precious holy objects like the bones of saints, martyrs, the Virgin Mary or even the eucharistic host. Combining incredible medieval metalwork with carved rock crystal, monstrances (and their more specifically Eucharist-bound cousins Ostensorium) magnify and beatify the holy objects they contain.

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Reliquary, Metropolitan Museum of Art: Medieval Art

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY Medium: Copper-gilt, rock crystal, silver and niello plaque

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/464178

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Reliquary of Mary Magdalene, Metropolitan Museum of Art: Medieval Art

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY Medium: Gilded copper, gilded silver, rock crystal, verre églomisé

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Monstrance, Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Woodcut of Two Angels Supporting a Monstrance

Date: 1445-1465 CE

Location of Manufacture: Germany, perhaps stored at the Monastery of St Peter at Salzburg originally or for some considerable amount of time

Materials/Technique: Paper/Woodcut print with hand coloring

Dimensions: Height: 200 millimeters; Width: 135 millimeters

Current Location: The British Museum, Prints & Drawings Department

Acquisition Number: 1932,0312.6

Original link

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Monstrance

Date: 1200′s- 1300′s

Place of Manufacture: Germany or France

Materials: Gilt copper, rock crystal

Dimensions: Height: 16.3 centimeters, Base Width: 9.4 centimeters, Top Width: 8.1 centimeters

Current Location: The British Museum 

Original link found here

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Pyx

Date: circa 1300

Location Created: Austria, Probably Salzburg 

Materials: silver and gilt silver

Dimensions: Diameter: 4.80 x 7.80 cm (1 7/8 x 3 1/16 inches)

Current Location: The Cleveland Museum of Art

Original Link

The Pyx was originally used to carry the Eucharist for safety and for transport. The consecrated host gained importance in the Catholic liturgy and faith after the Lateran council of 1215 decreed the edict of transubstantiation, or the actuality of the Eucharist as the actual flesh of Christ. 

As perceived power of the Eucharist grew, more and more of the faithful laity desired to see the consecrated host, especially as the amount of Latin-speaking laity decreased, perhaps increasing feelings of isolation and removal from direct salvation. 

These reasons, along with advancements in material techniques led to the increase in see-through, or visible capsae (or capsules) known as monstrances, or ostensorium for the Eucharist and other relics.

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Monstrance with the "Paten of Saint Bernward"

Creator: Saint Oswald Reliquary Workshop

Date: c. 1180-1190

Location: Germany

Materials: silver, gilded silver, niello, rock crystal

Dimensions: 34.50 x 15.90 x 14.00 cm (13 9/16 x 6 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches); Part 1: h. 13.50 cm (5 5/16 inches); Part 2: h. 34.30 cm (13 1/2 inches)

Current Location: The Cleveland Museum of Art

Original Link

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Monstrance with a Relic of Saint Sebastian

Creator: Werner Korff (goldsmith)

Date: c. 1484

Location Created: Brunswick, Lower Saxony, Germany

Materials: gilded silver, rock crystal

DImensions: 47.00 cm (18 1/2 inches)

Current Location: The Cleveland Museum of Art

Original Link

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Monstrance Reliquary

Date: 1200-1300

Location created: France

Material:  copper: gilded, engraved; rock crystal

Dimensions: 35.95 x 17.80 cm (14 1/8 x 7 inches)

Current location: The Cleveland Museum of Art

Original Link

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Pyx with the Martyrdom of Saint Barbara

Date:  ca. 1480

Location: Germany

Medium: gilded silver, mother-of-pearl

Measurements: 7 7/16 x 3 3/4 in. (18.9 x 9.5 cm)

Current Location: The Walters Art Gallery

Original Link

The pyx, a liturgical object used to carry the Host (or Eucharistic wafer) was the precedent to the monstrance and more specifically Ostensorium reliquaries. Because this work contains no rock crystal, or any clear elements it does not qualify as a monstrance. However, comparing this object to other Ostensorium, one can see the similarities in shape and theme (particularly that of the resurrection).

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Reliquary Statuette of Saint Barbara

Date: ca. 1420-1440 (Late Medieval)

Location: Netherlands

Medium: gilded silver, rock crystal, textile

Measurements: 9 1/16 in. (23 cm)

Current Location: The Walters Art Gallery

Original Link

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Monstrance

Date: ca. 1230

Location/Creator: Mosan Workshop, East Belgium

Medium: copper with gilding, semi-precious stones, niello and rock crystal

Measurements: H: 14 x Diam: 5 1/16 in. (35.5 x 12.9 cm)

Current Location: The Walters Art Gallery

Original Link

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OMG

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Reliquary (missing rock crystal interior)

Date: 1375-1400 (Medieval)

Location: Swabia, Germany (?) Austria (?), or Bohemia

Medium: silver gilt

Measurements: 16 1/8 x 4 3/4 in. (41 x 12 cm)

Current Location: The Walters Art Gallery

Original Link

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Reliquary with the Man of Sorrows

Date: 1347-1349 (Medieval)

Location: Bohemia

Medium: gilded silver, silver, champlevé enamel, glass paste (imitation ruby)

Patron: John Volek, Bishop of Olomouc (1334-1351)

Measurements:  H: 11 5/8 x W at wings: 8 3/8 x D: 5 in. (29.53 x 21.27 x 12.7 cm)

Current Location: The Walters Art Gallery

Original Link

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Reliquary of Mary Magdalene

Date: 14th and 15th century

Geography: Made in Tuscany, Italy

Medium: Gilded copper, gilded silver, rock crystal, verre églomisé

Dimensions: Overall: 22 x 9 3/8 x 7 15/16in. (55.9 x 23.8 x 20.2cm) roundel: 3 3/8in. (8.6cm)

Current Location: The Cloisters Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Original Link