Beautiful antique French Canivet relic I purchased in Provence circa the early 1800s. This is a VERY old Canivet relic Picture with a lot of cutwork. A "canivet" card is art connected to small holy pictures and it was probably born in France, in the 13th century or thereabouts. This craft makes the holy pictures in needlework using a chromo, textiles, and many other materials. The French and Italians are famous for this type of art.
Works of art such as this were left almost exclusively to the hands of monks and nuns in medieval monasteries and convents. They used to craft them to express Christian faith and spiritual exercise, going beyond prayers. Today, it is commonplace, and we might call this a flat mixed-media piece.
This particular piece is framed in a domed oval relic frame. The frame is in fantastic condition as is the original domed glass. I can see no cracks. The back is papered in black and there is a small hole at the top for hanging the piece on the wall. This framed relic has original embossed gold pieces and cut paper florals on the bottom. It measures 4.25" x 5". Truly a work of art.
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