Rare Antique French Convent Work Velvet Meerschaum Paperolle Reliquary

An elegant hand convent work object, it was made to fit into the palm of a hand, for use as a "voyage" or traveling reliquary. It is French, originating from the Normandy region. It dates towards the mid to late 19th century (1850-1870).

The oval box is formed from hard paper board, with the sides being applied separately to the flat top/bottom. Very fine velvet and silk fabric cover these paper boards. These materials would have been gleaned from cast off clothing of the nobility (a common practice was to donate used or unwanted clothing to the local monastery or convent so that the fabrics could be repurposed into religious garments, altar adornments and small devotional objects).

The top of the box is a shadowbox window. Inside a meerschaum figure of the Madonna and Christ Child (meershaum is a soft white clay-like material). Surrounding the figures are gilded "paperolles" which curve and curl across the entire design field. There are three paper scrolls with manuscript names (not easy to see). The design is sealed into place with a hand cut glass wafer. There is a green braid roping at the joint of the glass and the side. The back of this box side is covered in velvet with very fine metallic gold trim.

The reverse part of the box is unadorned except for a hand cut Maltese cross which is fixed at the inside center. This side is also covered in fine red velvet and silk, with metallic gilt braid. There is a remnant of a pink silk hanging ribbon at the top. It measures: 2 7/8" x 1 7/8" x 1/2" thick. It is in very good condition in consideration of the advanced age: The meershaum figure has glue applied to an old break at the neck (the figure could have been gleaned from an another old reliquary, repaired and placed into this one. There is slight wear to the silk. The velvet retains its original rich crimson hue and the gilt braid is shimmering.

It fits so perfectly in the palm of your hand. The simplicity of the design is particularly poignant and the use of such luxurious materials gives it a regal countenance. It is a beautiful traveling reliquary of the nineteenth century.