Terms and Conditions
The artist, title and date of the work must be listed anywhere the image is reproduced:
France
Reliquary with image of Saint Mary Magdalene (18th century)
wax, paper, metal thread, wood, glass
20.2 × 16.7 × 4.7 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Bequest of Mrs Henry Marsh, 1980
Photo: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Where possible, the image must be reproduced in full (no cropping or over-printing). If you wish to use a detail of the work, a full reproduction of the work must also be reproduced elsewhere in the publication.
While the NGV believes this work to be in the Public Domain, it is the responsibility of the publisher to ensure that no further permissions are required for use.
For a complete list of terms and condition of use see the National Gallery of Victoria’s copyright policy.
About this work
Where medieval reliquaries had employed rich materials such as gold, enamel and gemstones, signifying the divine light and the heavenly realm to which a saint’s relics provided a link, many of the reliquaries produced by members of cloistered women’s religious orders in the post-Reformation era purposely used humble materials like paper, wax and thread. This was a conscious rejection of all excess – the only treasures worthy of the name were the relics themsleves.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
France
Inscription
inscribed in pen and brown ink on paper c.l.: S. Maurii M.
inscribed in pen and brown ink on paper u.l.: S. Benigni M.
inscribed in pen and brown ink on paper u.c.: Reliquae .S S.
inscribed in pen and brown ink on paper u.r.: S. Desidirii M.
inscribed in pen and brown ink on paper c.r.: S. Justini M.
Accession Number
D438-1980
Department
International Decorative Arts
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Dame Carol Colburn-Grigor CBE through Metal Manufactures Limited