255 - Reliquary pendant. Spain, 18th century.

Reliquary pendant. Spain, 18th century. Made of hallmarked silver, oval in shape. The frame is decorated with filigree work, featuring circular and plant motifs arranged around the central compartment. The top is openwork and features a loop for hanging. It has a patina consistent with its age. Measurements: 7 x 5 x 2 cm. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. This type of portable reliquary became widely popular in Spain during the 18th century; it was designed to hold small relics or devotional images and to be worn suspended from a chain. The filigree ornamentation, created from fine silver wires that have been coiled and soldered together, lends the piece the rich decorative style characteristic of devotional silverwork from that period.