Holy water font (2) - 1800-1850

Pair of 800 silver holy-water stoups, Lombardo-Veneto area, 19th century

Elegant pair of wall-mounted holy-water stoups in 800/1000 silver, attributable to the Lombardo-Veneto production in the first half of the 19th century, as suggested by the marks visible on the back (including the typical globe-and-stars mark introduced in the Napoleonic era).

The holy-water stoups feature a refined relief and chased decoration depicting a sacred group with the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and Baby Jesus, accompanied by the Child Jesus and an angel in adoration. The composition is lively and rendered with good plastic quality, highlighting soft drapery and expressive faces, typical of the devotional production of the 19th century in the area.

The lower part consists of a hemispherical cup intended to contain holy water, decorated with engraved motifs and ornamental bands. At the base is applied a winged cherub head, a recurring iconographic element in domestic sacred objects. The holy-water stoup, as a liturgical and devotional object, was traditionally placed at the entrance of homes for the sign of the cross with holy water.

Characteristics:
Epoch: 19th century
Provenance: Lombardo-Veneto (Austrian Empire, 1815–1866)
Material: silver 800/1000
Technique: casting, repoussé and chasing
Type: wall-mounted holy-water stoups
Decoration: sacred scene with Madonna, Child, Saint Joseph and angelic figures

Condition:
Good overall condition with patina consistent with age and traces of oxidation on the back; signs of use compatible with liturgical function. A small missing part visible in the photo.

Objects of great devotional and collecting charm, ideal both for collections of antique silverware and as decorative elements with historical-religious taste.

The photos are an integral part of the description.