1768 Large Sicilian reliquary theca with relics of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph & 19 saints & Martyrs
Large fancy glass-fronted heart-shaped silver theca with a 1768 hallmark housing relics of 19 saints centered around Ex Velo (of the Veil) relic of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Ex Pallio (of the Coat) relic Her husband St. Joseph.
The relics are affixed to a silk background decorated by silver wire and gilt paperolle ornamentation and identified on a typeset cedulae labels as follows:
- Ex Velo (from the Veil) of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Ex Pallio (from the Coat) of St. Joseph
- St. Sebastian, Martyr
- St. Symphorosa, Martyr
- St. Lawrence, Martyr
- St. Philip Neri, Confessor
- St. Calogerus the Anchorite, Confessor
- St. Luke, the Evangelist
- St. Barnabas, the Apostle
- St. Lucia, Martyr
- St. Domitilla, Virgin & Martyr
- St. Marc, the Evangelist
- St. Vitus, Martyr
- St. Bartholomew, the Apostle
- St. Vitus, Martyr
- ex ossibus (of the bone) St. Francis of Paola
- St. Anastasia of Sirmium, Martyr
- St. Nympha, Virgin & Martyr
- St. Rosalia, Virgin of Palermo
- Bl. (St.) Bernard of Corleone, O.F.M.
- St. Vincent Ferrer
On the back, the reliquary is hallmarked with a date mark for the year 1768 (the year of Beatification of Bernard of Corleone) and a maker's mark. The inclusion of three saints venerated locally in Sicily (St. Calogerus the Anchorite, St. Rosalia, Virgin of Palermo, and Bernard of Corleone) allows attributing the reliquary to this region of Italy. The town hallmark is indistinct but appears to be of Palermo, the maker's mark has a clear date of [17]68.




