Antique linen relic bursa with hand-painted relic insert inscribed S. Clemens M., Saint Clement Martyr, with small bone fragment

Antique Relic of Saint Clement Martyr | S. Clemens M. | Hand-Painted Insert in Linen Bursa | Bone Fragment | 18th–19th Century

£149.00
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Antique linen relic bursa with hand-painted relic insert inscribed S. Clemens M., Saint Clement Martyr, with small bone fragment
  • Antique linen relic bursa with hand-painted relic insert inscribed S. Clemens M., Saint Clement Martyr, with small bone fragment
  • Burgundy leather back of the Saint Clement relic insert beside the linen relic pouch
  • Hand-sewn ivory linen relic bursa with brass hook, front view
  • Back of the antique linen relic bursa of Saint Clement Martyr
  • Linen relic bursa closed with its flap and original brass hook for pinning to clothing
  • Saint Clement relic bursa next to a ruler showing its size, about 4.6 x 5.8 cm
  • Antique linen relic bursa with hand-painted relic insert inscribed S. Clemens M., Saint Clement Martyr, with small bone fragment
  • Burgundy leather back of the Saint Clement relic insert beside the linen relic pouch
  • Hand-sewn ivory linen relic bursa with brass hook, front view
  • Back of the antique linen relic bursa of Saint Clement Martyr
  • Linen relic bursa closed with its flap and original brass hook for pinning to clothing
  • Saint Clement relic bursa next to a ruler showing its size, about 4.6 x 5.8 cm
Antique Relic of Saint Clement Martyr | S. Clemens M. | Hand-Painted Insert in Linen Bursa | Bone Fragment | 18th–19th Century

Antique Relic of Saint Clement Martyr | S. Clemens M. | Hand-Painted Insert in Linen Bursa | Bone Fragment | 18th–19th Century

£149.00
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A rare and charming antique devotional relic of Saint Clement, Martyr, preserved in its original hand-sewn linen bursa – a small relic pouch made to be pinned inside clothing and carried close to the heart for protection.

Inside the pouch is a tiny relic insert: a square of linen backed with burgundy leather, onto which is mounted a hand-painted paper label. A red ring decorated with small gold dots and a dark blue circle frame the relic at the centre, surrounded by painted floral ornament. Beneath it, in hand-lettered red ink, is the inscription “S. Clemens M.” – Sanctus Clemens Martyr, Saint Clement, Martyr.

At the centre lies a minute relic particle, believed to be a bone fragment (ex ossibus), as was customary for relics of martyrs, although the label itself does not state the type of relic.

The bursa

The ivory linen pouch is neatly hand-stitched, with a turned-over flap and its original small brass hook for fastening to a garment. Wearable relic bursae of this kind were popular in Catholic Central Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, often made in convents together with painted and filigree relic labels (Klosterarbeiten).

About Saint Clement, Martyr

The name Clement was borne by several early Christian martyrs, most famously Pope Saint Clement I of Rome, the third successor of Saint Peter, martyred around 100 AD, as well as several Roman martyrs whose relics were distributed from the catacombs in the 17th–19th centuries. The label does not specify which Saint Clement is intended.

Details

  • Type: wearable relic bursa with hand-painted relic insert
  • Inscription: “S. Clemens M.” (Saint Clement, Martyr)
  • Relic: small particle, believed to be bone (ex ossibus)
  • Origin: Central Europe (probably Germany or Austria)
  • Period: 18th–19th century
  • Materials: linen, paper, watercolour and gold paint, leather, brass hook
  • Size: pouch approx. 4.6 × 5.8 cm (1.8 × 2.3 in); insert approx. 3.2 × 2.6 cm
  • Condition: good for its age; light foxing and small spots to the linen, minor fraying at the edges

Sold as a historical devotional object. No certificate of authenticity is included. The item you receive is the exact one pictured.

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