Peruvian
17th century
Silver and mica
Provenance: London trade
This Peruvian colonial devotional pendant combines a silver frame with a mica window enclosing a painted image of the Crucifixion, a format widely produced in 17th-century Peru for personal and portable devotional use. Mica, which occurs naturally in the Andean region and was exploited by pre-Columbian cultures before the colonial period, was adopted by colonial silversmiths as a transparent protective cover for small painted devotional images, producing objects that functioned as wearable reliquaries or prayer objects. The oval silver surround is cast and chased with foliate and figural decoration, with a suspension loop at the top and small cast figures flanking the frame, consistent with the elaborate silverwork produced in colonial Peruvian workshops.
The Crucifixion image visible through the mica is painted in miniature on a dark ground, the figure of Christ rendered with careful attention within the constraints of the very small format. The combination of European devotional iconography with indigenous Andean materials reflects the syncretic character of colonial Peruvian material culture. The pendant comes from the London trade.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Peruvian
17th century
Silver and mica
Provenance: London trade
This Peruvian colonial devotional pendant combines a silver frame with a mica window enclosing a painted image of the Crucifixion, a format widely produced in 17th-century Peru for personal and portable devotional use. Mica, which occurs naturally in the Andean region and was exploited by pre-Columbian cultures before the colonial period, was adopted by colonial silversmiths as a transparent protective cover for small painted devotional images, producing objects that functioned as wearable reliquaries or prayer objects. The oval silver surround is cast and chased with foliate and figural decoration, with a suspension loop at the top and small cast figures flanking the frame, consistent with the elaborate silverwork produced in colonial Peruvian workshops.
The Crucifixion image visible through the mica is painted in miniature on a dark ground, the figure of Christ rendered with careful attention within the constraints of the very small format. The combination of European devotional iconography with indigenous Andean materials reflects the syncretic character of colonial Peruvian material culture. The pendant comes from the London trade.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
