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A group of 3 Italian solid silver ex-voto, Naples, 18th - 19th century

Total weight: 108 g.
a form of folk art, handcrafted objects that represent testimonies of devotion and religiosity, often linked to miraculous events or requests for miracles, positioned between history and legend. The themes depicted are usually Madonnas, Saints, or categories of vows such as healing, accidents, and natural disasters, with patrons coming from various social classes. The lot in question consists of three ex-voto representing the category of anatomical votive tablets: a mouth, the lower abdomen, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a very widespread form of this type as a symbol of gratitude and love, directly connected to the devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
The space on the tablet, as in this case, is usually divided into two distinct parts: one dedicated to the deity, with a votive inscription, either abbreviated or fully written, or a representation, and the depiction of the healed part or the miracle (in the case of a disaster). Therefore, we find the letters V.F. - G.A. written below the representations of the mouth and pelvis, votive initials for "Voto Fatto - Grazia Avuta" (Vow Made - Grace Received). Ex-votos are objects that reflect a ritual commitment from the petitioner, the one who makes the vow, who may coincide with the healed person, the one who suffered harm, and the deity who intercedes.
Among the types of object-based ex-votos, there are numerous cases that pay particular attention to anatomical form, reproducing the parts of the human body that were healed, made from various materials such as metal, silver, or tin. These ex-votos may represent limbs, eyes, crutches, and walking sticks, often accompanied by inscriptions that further personalize them. Votive tablets are effective artistic representations that capture the drama experienced by the devotees, carefully describing the details to make both the recipient of the grace and the extraordinary event they lived through recognizable. They reflect not only the suffering and despair of the moment but also the invocation for help and the gratitude for the grace received. These images document various types of suffering and accidents.

Height x width x depth: 15 x 9 x 2.5 cm; 8.5 x 7.5 cm; 11 x 10.5 cm.
23/01/2025 23:09:46
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200,00 €
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Live auction 327

Curiosities from European and Oriental art
Silvers, Ivories, Corals, Icons, and Wunderkammer

Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, tue 25 February 2025
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