Reliquary theca with relic of Saint Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist, Patron of bankers, bookkeepers & civil servants

An oval crystal-fronted silver pendant reliquary theca housing a precious first-class ex ossibus (of the bone) relic of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist​. The relic is displayed on the ground of gold silk and identified in Latin on an ornate manuscript cedula label as S.Matheai/ Apostoli / et Evang. (Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist). On the back, the reliquary is secured by a perfectly preserved seal of red Spanish wax bearing an imprint with a coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Milan. 

Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, also known as Levi, was a tax collector in Capernaum whom Jesus called to follow Him, transforming him from sinner to Apostle. He authored the Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, aimed at a Jewish audience. Tradition says he preached in Judea, Ethiopia, and Persia before being martyred in the 1st century. He is the patron saint of tax collectors, accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, and civil servants. His feast day is September 21.