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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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| Reliquary of St. Sixtus |
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This embossed and engraved silver reliquary
is in the form of a casket with lion claw feet. The container is smooth
surfaced and decorated with richly designed phytomorphic motifs. A
small oculus, surrounded by a garland of flowers and fruit, is situated
in the centre and allows a view of the relic of the saint. The cover is
formed of a small tiled roof with acanthus leaves on the corners and
decorated with a subtle webbed motif in the upper part. It is topped
with four horns of plenty that hold up the statuette of St. Sixtus the
Pope in benediction in full relief. The Medici Grand Ducal coats of
arms and the set of keys that were placed in his hands that have since
transformed him into St. Peter
were added in a later period.
The webbed decoration on the upper part
of the lid hosts an inscription related to the purchasers of this work
and its original destination: "BARTHOLOMEUS LANFREDINUS EPISCOPUS FESOLANUS DIVO ROMULO ANNO DM MDCXIIII".
The object was
therefore commissioned by the Bishop of Fiesole, Bartolomeo Lanfredini,
in 1614 to contain the relics of St. Romulus, the first Bishop of
Fiesole and linked to the legend of the sacred image of Impruneta. When
the reliquary became Medici property, the relics were replaced and the
Grand Ducal coat of arms was added, together with the statuette of St.
Sixtus. The Grand Duke Ferdinando II then donated it to the Virgin of
Impruneta on the occasion of the solemn procession on October 2nd 1633,
organised in thanks to the Madonna for the end of the plague. An
inscription written underneath the casing gives the name of the author
of this precious object (SIMON PIGN: SCULPSIT), Simone Pignoni, a
goldsmith who was already active in Florence in the late 16th century
but only enrolled in the Guild from 1603.
This is the only known piece
of goldsmithery by this artist who, on a cultural level, appears to
have been deeply attached to Renaissance styles. This is noticeable in
the richly classical decorations that cover the chest, which is also a
perfect imitation of the formal model of the sarcophagus that
Verrocchio carried out for the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo. The taste
of the Florentines in fact remained deeply permeated with classical
trends that artists continued to re-propose even in the Baroque period.
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