Superb antique solid silver monstrance. France, Circa 1880

Antique solid silver monstrance with storing case made in France circa 1800 and in striking condition. The monstrance is entirely made of silver and bears hallmarks in all its parts. The silversmiths mark belongs to Adrien Brigaud, an artisan who lived and worked in the last quarter of the 19th century. This superb silversmiths piece comes with an ancient storing case; it seems not to be the original case but anyway the monstrance fits perfectly. The piece preserves all its original parts, even the delicate luna (the glass capsule which holds the Blessed Sacrament). The lunas holding pin is missing, but it is otherwise in optimal condition. The monstrance foot is square in shape and stands on four claw-shaped legs. The wider lower part bears a decoration of leaves and scallops. At the center of the base, the front side is decorated with a gold-plated silver detail depicting the Lamb of God. At the back we can see a triangle in the sky, the symbol of God, with the numbers 777 engraved inside. On both sides there are embossed images of bunches of grapes, symbolizing the Eucharistic wine (the Blood of Christ). Over the base, the mast is composed of two nodes: a smaller one with embossed bunches of grapes and a bigger one with cherubs heads at the sides. The top part of the monstrance, the sun, is a spectacular and beautiful part. At the top, the mast is shaped as a group of wheat stalks which open to embrace some bunches of grapes. Over the grapes we can see the luna, with the original glass panes and a fine gold-plated silver frame. Surrounding the luna there is an awesome display of silver rays of different lengths. The sun is crowned by a fine Latin cross with wavy shapes and engraved scallops that match the bases decoration. This antique solid silver monstrance with storing case is worthy of belonging to a sacred-art museum or a cathedrals treasure. Measurements: Bases Width: 6 in / 15 cm. Height: 22 in / 55 cm. Top Width: 10.2 in / 25.5 cm. Weight: 775 g.