Antique French reliquary Holy Crown of Thorns Jesus Christ

Antique French Reliquary – Relic of the Holy Crown of Thorns (Ste. Epine)

A rare and sacred antique French reliquary theca, housing a relic identified as a fragment of a thorn from the Holy Crown of Thorns (Ste. Epine), traditionally believed to have been placed on the head of Jesus Christ during the Passion. The circular reliquary measures approximately 2.25 cm in diameter, and contains a relic fragment mounted on paper, inscribed in script handwriting, and sealed under glass with an original red wax ecclesiastical seal bearing a crest.

Contents: Relic of the Sainte Epine (Holy Thorn) from the Crown of Thorns

Diameter: approx. 2.25 cm

Interior: Scripted identification on aged paper; thorn fragment visible under glass

Seal: Red wax with ecclesiastical crest

Provenance: From the collection of a monastery in Artigues-Pres-Bordeaux, France

Condition: Very good devotional condition; seal appears intact,

Relics of the Crown of Thorns have been venerated across Europe since the Middle Ages, with portions of the original crown preserved at Notre-Dame de Paris and disseminated to monasteries and royal chapels over the centuries.