Reliquary bust

• CE00089
• 1576-1600
• Wood: Carved- Gilted - Painted

Reliquary representing a saint, maybe Saint Gregorius, as there are similar works at the reliquary collection of the university chapel of the University of Seville.

This type of reliquary was common from the second half of the 16th century onwards, specially after the cabinets of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, with the numerous busts commisioned by Phillip II to Juan de Arfe and his son-in-law Lesmes Fernandez del Moral, were completely filled.

The fancy for these reliquaries continued during the first half of the 17th century, when many of them were made in order to fill alcoves and shelves in numerous altarpieces.