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| The Work of Impruneta, Il Tesoro di Santa Maria |
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Cushion
Tuscan Manifacture, 15th century, before 1477 |
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The discovery of the sacred image of the Virgin
Florentine Sculptor, Mid 15th century |
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Altar trappings composed of four candleholders and a cross bearer with a cross
Florentine Workshop, Before 1632 |
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Antiphonary (previously called Vesperal 6)
Antonio di Girolamo di Ugolino, 1538-1539. |
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1. Gradual (previously called Antiphonary I)
Lippo di Benivieni, 1315-1320 ca. |
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Basin and jug
Tuscan Manifacture, Datable as 1711 |
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Pyx
Tuscan Manifacture, 16th century |
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Processional cross
Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1425 ca. |
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Reliquary of St. Sixtus
Simone Pignoni, Dated 1614 |
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Pyx
Cosimo Merlini, 1637 |
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Pair of votive vases
Tuscan Manifacture, Second quarter of the 17th century, datable as 1633 |
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Pax
Antonio di Salvi, 1515 |
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Little cape - image cover in canvas
Tuscan Manifacture, 1568 |
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Chasuble
Tuscan Manifacture, Early 18th century |
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Series of two tunicles
Tuscan Manifacture, 17th century |
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| Pax |
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This object is a "pendant" to a pair of paxes, similar in form but with different decorations, and attributed to goldsmith Antonio di Salvi,
who worked on the silver reredos of St. John for the Baptistery in
Florence and carried out reliquaries for the most important churches in
the city. Both are structurally like 15th century tabernacles, with
pilaster strips and candelabra at the sides and topped by a round arch,
decorated with plaited ribbon motifs, whose foreshortened embrasures
create an illusionary feeling of depth. The base is classically
decorated with spiralling vine shoots, volutes and fantastic animals.
The bas-relief decorations are carried out on a blue enamelled background. The Assumption of the Virgin,
enclosed in a mandorla with an angel on either side and the heads of
cherubim above and below, is placed in the centre of the pax. The image
of Christ in Pietà
is instead set in the upper lunette. This pax has an extremely rare
iconographic design, because the scene with the Assumption of Mary is
usually topped by God the Father in Benediction or the Coronation of
the Virgin, and normally never by Christ in Pietà.The fact that the Assumption of the Virgin is
shown in a prominent position is justified by the fact that she is the
patron saint of Impruneta. Even so, the mandorla design, which recalls
Gothic models, is very rare in the Florentine area in the 16th century.
The most immediate examples of this type of design can be found in the
Florentine painting of the first quarter of the 16th century, still
permeated with late 15th century culture, rather than in works of
goldsmithery. It can also be found in certain types of contemporary
sculpture, in particular that from the Della Robbia workshops, with
blue backgrounds, which the enamelled pax seems to wish to recall. This
rare subject has also been paired with the Christ in Pietà, which is
frequently used for liturgical furnishings because of its doctrinal
significance, above all for chalices, small ciborium doors and paxes.
On the back of the object we can find an inscription in gilded copper,
decorated with extremely refined engravings
of coils and floral patterns, with the name of the purchaser and date
of its execution: "ANDREAS BONDELMONTES PL. S.M. IMPRUNETA HOC OPUS
FACIUNDUM CURAVIT A.D. M.D.X.V". Andrea Buondelmonti, the parish priest
of Impruneta and member of the powerful family that had always held the
patronage of the church therefore gave this pax to the Basilica of
Santa Maria in 1515. Buondelmonti remained a perpetual administrator of
the church even after his nomination as Archbishop of Florence,
continuing to enrich the treasury with works of art.
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