Monstrance - Silver, Ivory - 1750-1800 - Processional monstrance - 47 cm

Rare Ostensoir-Soleil de Procession en Argent et Ivoire – Naples, c. 1799 & XIXe

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Elegant and rare portable processional monstrance-sun, combining a remarkable Baroque-era repoussé silver monstrance with a finely turned ivory shaft. This sacred art object bears witness to the historical upheavals of Southern Italy at the end of the 18th century and to the ingenuity of 19th-century artisans who worked to preserve it.

The Monstrance (18th century): The Neapolitan School at the heart of History

The upper part (the glory) is made of solid silver, chased and repoussé. The central casing, adorned with delicate cherub heads in pronounced relief, is surrounded by straight rays alternating with flame rays, all crowned by a delicately worked cross.

The lunule edge bears the official marks of the Commune House of the city of Naples (NAP letters under an open royal crown) as well as the mark of a Consul-Assayer (Saggiatore).

The crushed strike and the traces of manual filing on the inner shaft place this piece around 1799. This pivotal year corresponds to the fall of the Bourbons and the ephemeral Neapolitan Republic. In the face of requisitions for precious metals by the French troops, the low title of the alloy (producing slight verdigris at the base) and the alteration of the royal marks are typical of emergency productions of this civil-war period.

The Ivory Shaft (19th century): A prestigious transformation for processions

During the 19th century, to save this precious sun spared from revolutionary melts, a workshop of goldsmiths and tabulation transformed this altar monstrance into a portable model intended for processions (such as Corpus Christi).

The original fixing stem was carefully trimmed with a file and engraved with an workshop assembly cross to fit perfectly into a magnificent turned ivory baluster-handled grip. This noble material offered the priest a solemn, insulating, and dignified grip of the Blessed Sacrament during long rites under the canopy.

Possible ownership and historical context

Although no heraldic engraving allows a definite nominative attribution, the dual dating of the object opens up fascinating historical avenues for collectors:

- The great Confraternities of Neapolitan Nobility: Very powerful at the end of the 18th century (as the Arciconfraternita della Trinità dei Pellegrini), these bodies had the funds to commission prestige goldsmithing just before the 1799 crisis.
- The refractory or exiled clergy: The transformation in the 19th century with a high-end portable handle suggests a commission by a leading church or ecclesiastical dignitary to restore a masterpiece rescued from Napoleonic spoilation.

Technical sheet & Condition

Era: Neapolitan Monstrance (circa 1799); Shaft and reassembly from the 19th century. Materials: Solid silver, inner copper alloy, turned ivory (natural Schreger lines present).

Dimensions: Total height 47 cm; gross weight +/- 1 kg

Good overall condition with signs of use, slight deformations, and old traces consistent with liturgical use. One of the lunule glass panels is cracked.

Due to the presence of antique ivory, this object will be accompanied by a CITES certificate No. 2026/BE01738/CE for any transaction requiring this document.

The photos are an integral part of the object description and complement its presentation. Please examine them carefully before any commitment.

The item will be carefully packed and shipped with a tracking number to ensure fast and secure delivery.

Happy bidding