A Very Rare Rock Crystal and Gold Tabernacle Jewel in the Form of a Lantern Mexico, Late 16th Century

Object Description

The gold mounts decorated with blue, green, red and white enamels; some losses to the enamels commensurate with age; the hollowed out centre to the rock crystal contains minutely carved boxwood scenes from Christ’s passion; Christ receiving the crown of thorns, bearing the cross, Saint Veronica with her veil, and the crucifixion.

Object History

For similar examples of this type of work see – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession no. 17.190.886,
and British Museum accession nos. W.B.182, W.B.183 and A.F.2864.
Comparative literature – P. Lesley, Renaissance Jewels and Jewelled Objects, from the Melvin Gutman Collection, The
Baltimore Museum of Art, 1968 p.63; Wardropper I , Renaissance Jewelry in the Alsdorf Collection, The Art Institute of
Chicago, 2000 p.79.
The piece is 3.3cms in height and 1.6cms in Width

Object Details