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“The footprint of Jesus Christ”. Second-class relic. 18th ce…
Lot no. 34
Description
“The footprint of Jesus Christ”. Second-class relic. 18th century. Holy Land, Jerusalem.
Relic measurements: 15.5 x 29.5 cm.
Frame measurements: 35 x 39 cm.
Beautiful and curious second-class relic of the “footprint of Jesus” on the Mount of Olives.
Inside a fine Charles IV frame in carved and gilded wood, with a crest and a small copper medallion featuring an Ecce Homo painted in oil, we see a monastic work on linen or silk with sequin applications and metallic floral leaves surrounding it, to which the cutout footprint trace or vestigium of the footprint of Jesus has been applied. On it we can read: VESTIGIUM D. N. J. Csti. in Monte Olivéti. It represents the footprint impressed on a rock inside the Chapel of the Ascension, at the highest point of the Mount of Olives, believed to be the mark left by Jesus as he ascended into Heaven.
Christian tradition holds that this rock preserves the imprint of his right foot. This relic, known as the Rock of the Ascension, has been venerated by pilgrims since the earliest centuries of Christianity and symbolizes the physical presence of Jesus on Earth.
The Bible refers to the event of the Ascension in Acts of the Apostles 1:12, and the Rock of the Ascension can be seen in the chapel of the same name, a Romanesque sanctuary located in the At-Tur district of Jerusalem.
Its provenance is clear, Jerusalem. Two large Jerusalem crosses in black ink authenticate this relic: the potent Greek cross with four smaller Greek crosses in each of its quadrants.
A devotional keepsake with a clear meaning: the footprint is considered one of the most powerful forms of symbolic and physical presence of Jesus for Christians, especially in the absence of bodily relics.
Provenance:
- Private collection. Barcelona. From mid 20th century.
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