Silver-gilt set with crystals, probably Mexico, 1690 - 1710, unmarked.

Monstrance, silver-gilt, consisting of a frame of sun rays set with rock crystals encircling a round glass window, surmounted by a cross. The round base and tall stem, formed from urn-shaped sections, are decorated with applied cherub heads and pounced (pricked) scrollwork.

Dr W.L. Hildburgh Bequest

The Counter Reformation
The 16th century was a period of intense self examination for the Roman Catholic church. Internal dissent was undermining its authority and whole nations were going over to the new Protestant faiths. To clarify its role, the church held the Council of Trent from 1545 to 1563. It addressed concerns about religious education, abuses of wealth and the relief of the poor. The Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) became the champion of the reformed Catholic church and promoted the faith worldwide. At the heart of this Counter Reformation was the need to restore the Eucharist to the centre of worship. In Catholic belief, the Eucharist enshrines the moment when bread and wine, consecrated at the altar, are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. A priest holding up a monstrance Detail from The Adoration of the Holy Eucharist, by Claudio Coello, 1685-90 Monasterio del Escorial, Madrid.

Art and Faith
The image and message of the reinvigorated Roman Catholic church were actively promoted through dramatic architecture and furnishings. Throughout the 17th century new churches were built in the grand Baroque style. Their sumptuous interiors were complemented by elaborate monstrances, candelabra, sanctuary lamps and censers. Awe-inspiring altar silver drew the eyes of the faithful towards the Eucharist.

This object would have been used in a Catholic church. The function of a monstrance is to display the Sacred Host, bread which is miraculously transformed into the body of Christ during the service of Mass. The Host would have been placed inside the window in the crescent-shaped holder called a 'lunula'. This example may have been placed on the altar as a focus for worship during the service of Benediction, or held up during church processions for all the congregation to see.

The sun is often used as a symbol of Christ's regeneration and radiance. Monstrances made in the shape of the sun were very popular after the Counter Reformation, an intense period of reform within the Roman Catholic Church from the 1540s. Such monstrances featured during the annual feast of Corpus Christi (meaning 'body of Christ'). This major festival was instituted in the 14th century to celebrate the Eucharist, the mystical moment of transformation.

M.252-1956