Virgin and Child

A hinged door at the back of this statue of the Virgin Mary and the Christ child suggests it may have been used as a reliquary, a receptacle for holy relics and a focus for worship in the church. The goldsmith has soldered together (fused using molten silver) pieces of raised (hammered) sheet silver, then gilded elements such as the hem of her dress, her hair and crown. Seams can be seen down the centre of the back, down the back of the arm holding the infant and down the front of the drapery.

The Virgin is crowned in reference to her role in much Christian imagery as the Queen of Heaven. Veneration of the Holy Mother has always been a central part of Catholic worship and was particularly encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church after the Counter Reformation from the mid 16th century.