The Shroud of Turin

The Shroud of Turin is a length of cloth bearing the negative image of a man. Some describe the image as depicting Jesus and believe the fabric is the burial shroud in which he was wrapped after being crucified. First mentioned in 1354, the shroud was denounced as spurious in 1389. Currently the Catholic church neither formally endorses nor rejects the shroud and in 2013 the Pope referred to it as an ‘icon of a man scourged and crucified’. The shroud has been kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Turin in Italy since 1578. It has been a destination for pilgrims for centuries.

This extraordinary one-off slide, circa 1700, was probably commissioned by a wealthy pilgrim after visiting the shrine. It is silver and the obverse depicts a recumbent Christ watched over by angels. A monstrance symbolises that Christ is present. The reverse, lugs and sides are botanically enamelled and the reverse has a monogram : GLP. The lid is removable  and to interior there is a inscription : Loue soit letres Sainct Sacrement De “l’autel, which means :  Praise be to God for the sacrament of holy communion. The slide measures 1 and 1/3 inches by 3/4 of an inch. There is minor enamel damage on the lugs and to the motto inside. A rare and exceptional piece.

£6500