Italian school; XVII century. "Monstrance". Carved and polychrome wood. Measurements: 53 x 32 x 4 cm. Monstrance made of carved and polychromed wood, typically baroque in its carved decoration based on scrolls and braces, as well as in the curvilinear profile for the base and a complex group of little angels holding a large curtain, following the theatricalization typical of the baroque. The realization of this type of religious objects, conceived to house the relics of the saints, was common since the Gothic period, highlighting the crosses, as well as the so-called "testas", which, in the documentation contemporary to their realization, were very popular. They were used to contain relics. In spite of the fact that many of them adopted very diverse forms, all of them had the same devotional purpose, which sometimes went beyond fanaticism. It should be remembered, however, that at that time, practically any element that had been in contact with the saint or his mortal remains (cloths, burial soil, etc.) was considered a sacred relic. This triggered a whole market for such objects. The best examples were made of precious metals, but specimens such as the present one were also highly valued, both for the container and, above all, for the content.