Reliquary - Silver, Glass, Textile - 1850-1900 - Saint John Gabriel Perboyre - Saint Vincent de Paul

• Item type: Religious object / Reliquary for high-end collection
• Era / Dating: Late 19th century (Post-1889 period / circa 1890-1900)
• Material: Solid punched sterling silver
• Purity grade of the material: High-quality silver (If the hallmark is identified, insert 800 or 925; otherwise select "High-quality solid silver")
• Country of origin: France (Manufacture by the Mother House of the Lazarists in Paris)
• Condition: Excellent preservation – Genuine period piece with splendid original patina of the time. Solid construction, bright gold filigree, and 100% intact sealing wax.
• Dimensions: Height 2.5 cm (excluding the top hook) × Width 2.0 cm × Thickness 0.5 cm
• Weight: 3.3 grams
Lot Description
Stunning and extraordinarily rare Catholic reliquary medallion (binary oval reliquary), a masterpiece of devotion and Lazarist goldsmithing from the late 19th century. Entirely crafted in solid silver, with engraving and hallmarking.
A lot destined for elite collectors and sacred art investors, standing out in the market for its complete integrity and the incredible historical significance of the figures it houses.
Historical Chronology Value (From Beatified to Saint):
The object can be placed with scientific precision in the decade following 1889. The cartouche bears the title of "Blessed Perboyre" (Beato Perboyre). Jean-Gabriel Perboyre was solemnly proclaimed Blessed by Pope Leo XIII in 1889 and later Canonized (proclaimed a Saint) by Pope John Paul II in 1996. The fact that the inner casing was sealed indicating the title of "Blessed" confirms that the original manufacture occurred precisely in that time window between the late 19th century and the very early 20th century. This chronological peculiarity certifies the epoch of the case and avoids modern reproductions, elevating the piece’s historical value.
The Preciousness of the Goldsmith’s Work:
This lot sits in a value band well above ordinary 19th-century reliquaries in brass or silvered metal for three fundamental elements:
• Noble metal: The outer case and the passing ring are in solid punched silver, preserved with their precious original patina attesting to centuries of authenticity.
• Bone-cut Inscription Art: The back of the case features a superb calligraphic monogram in full Liberty/Art Nouveau style, with the intertwined letters "VP" (Vincent / Perboyre) entirely hand-engraved by a master goldsmith.
• Internal Foliar Gold Wire Work: The front shows two geometric textile relics laid on a lavish hand-embroidered background with glossy twisted gold threads, creating a beautiful gleaming honeycomb pattern.
The Lives of the Saints and the Contemporary Link with Wuhan:
The medallion unites the ex-indumentis relics (fragments of original clothing) of two pillars of the Missionary Congregation (Lazarists):
1. Saint Vincent de Paul: The giant of Christian charity of the 17th century, a pillar of serving the least, represented here by a fragment of light-colored fabric.
2. Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre: The courageous Lazarist missionary who chose to live a clandestine faith to evangelize imperial China. Betrayed for money, he was imprisoned, tortured for months and finally martyred in Wuhan (in today’s Wuchang district) on September 11, 1840. He was executed by slow strangulation tied to a cruciform gallows. The brown/reddish fabric fragment housed in the reliquary comes, according to the order’s tradition, from the typical Chinese traditional garment that the saint wore to blend in and in which he faced the execution in Wuhan.
Contemporary connection: In recent years, Perboyre’s figure has caused enormous international uproar among historians and collectors. Having died in Wuhan from asphyxia and suffocation (total deprivation of air), the first saint of China has become the officially invoked figure by the faithful worldwide as a special intercessor and protector against Covid-19 and severe acute respiratory diseases, creating a powerful emotional bridge between his 19th-century Calvary and recent global history. This has generated a strong rediscovery in collecting and a significant revaluation of all his relics on the world market.
Unaltered State of Conservation (Maximum Collectible Value):
What makes this lot a museum piece is its complete integrity. On the back of the inner block remains the original red ecclesiastical sealing wax of the General Postulator of the Order in Paris. The seal is 100% intact and traps the four intact red silk threads, providing an absolute, official, and indissoluble guarantee of ecclesiastical authenticity and inviolability of the contents. The wax also rests on a fragment of ancient liturgical text printed in Gothic type.
An exceptional historical and economic investment, in pristine original condition.
The reliquary contains no human remains.
This item is offered exclusively for its historical, cultural, or decorative value. No religious significance is claimed, implied, or asserted.