Reliquary head
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
unknown Renaissance silversmith
15th century
embossed silver
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The head was once placed on a big wooden golden bust containing a shrine for the relics of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
The reliquary depicts a young woman by the noble trait, with hair described with calligraphic meticulousness and eyes drawn with extreme realism. The classicism that emanates this beautiful specimen is to be found in Renaissance sculptural tradition of 15th century Naples, whose protagonist was Francesco Laurana to whom this work can be attributed.
