French Silver Monstrance, XIX Century.

Wonderful monstrance made entirely of solid silver. This valuable sacred art piece was made in France in the 20th century and is in excellent condition. The monstrance has hallmarks at the base and the sunrays which guarantee the origin and quality of the noble metal it is made of. All its parts are well preserved, from the silver pieces with its profuse and detailed hand-made decoration until the glass that closes the lunette, the glass-framed shrine in which the Blessed Sacrament is publicly exposed.The top of this beautiful monstrance is decorated in the shape of a sun emitting its rays to all sides. The rays are different in length and there are a lot of them, embellishing the piece with their presence. The monstrance is crowned by a Latin cross and the lunette is surrounded by a golden circular frame engraved with a pattern of small spheres. Around this frame we can see several heads of putti or little angels which provide the piece with charm and ingenuity. The cane that joins the sun with the base is also beautifully engraved, and is connected to the lunette by a piece decorated with bunches of grapes and fig leaves (symbolizing Christs blood). The node or knob located in the center of the cane is decorated with the heads of two putti, one at each side, with their corresponding wings. Both angels frame a image of the Holy Heart at the front, while at the rear there is an engraving which seems to depict the Tables of Law.The base is embellished with a detailed baroque-inspired decoration, full of volutes and decorative moldings, and at the front it bears a gilded silver engraving depicting the Agnus Dei or Lamb of Christ. At the back there is a triangle with three symbols inside that represents God as the Holy Trinity. The monstrance has hallmarks in two places: one of them depicts a profile of Minerva goddess and is in one of the sunrays. The other two are at the monstrances base, and again we can see the image of the goddess together with another mark.This monstrances high intrinsic valuable, together with its beauty and ancient age, turn it into an exceptional piece fit to stand out in a museum of sacred art or in the best collection.Measurements: Width: 140 mm. Height: 475 mm. 470 grames.