Silver Papal Tiara
A very rare ‘del Fuego’ silver papal tiara
Estimate: PHP 150,000 - 200,000
c. mid-19th century
Silver, del Fuego gilding, wooden stand
43.2 x 20.32 cm (17 x 8 in)
Presented on a wooden stand
Provenance:
From the collection of renowned collector, Rene Dizon
A rarely seen example of a papal tiara placed on the head of a santo resembles the triregnum or the triple crown worn by popes from the 14th century until 1963, at the start of Pope Paul VI’s reign. The layers are demarcated by hammered rich baroque motifs in gold color, executed in an ancient fire gilding process called ‘del Fuego.’ Starting in the 4th century BC in China, gold was added to mercury at room temperature, forming an amalgam, which was spread on the silver item to be coated, then fired at extremely high temperatures (more than 1,000 degrees Celsius) to melt the gold and evaporate the mercury, leaving the gold layer on the surface—a dangerous process as it involved boiling off poisonous mercury. Finally, it was burnished with agate stone for a smooth, shiny finish. Unfortunately, the top tier of the crown has been lost. It has a screw-in mechanism to attach to the head of a santo. The previous owner had always placed this crown on the large exquisite head of a saint in molave wood that was sold in a recent auction.
Lot 211 of the Salcedo Auctions live and online auction on 23 November 2024. Please see salcedouactions.com for more information and to place an online bid.
Silver Papal Tiara
A very rare ‘del Fuego’ silver papal tiara
Estimate: PHP 150,000 - 200,000
c. mid-19th century
Silver, del Fuego gilding, wooden stand
43.2 x 20.32 cm (17 x 8 in)
Presented on a wooden stand
Provenance:
From the collection of renowned collector, Rene Dizon
A rarely seen example of a papal tiara placed on the head of a santo resembles the triregnum or the triple crown worn by popes from the 14th century until 1963, at the start of Pope Paul VI’s reign. The layers are demarcated by hammered rich baroque motifs in gold color, executed in an ancient fire gilding process called ‘del Fuego.’ Starting in the 4th century BC in China, gold was added to mercury at room temperature, forming an amalgam, which was spread on the silver item to be coated, then fired at extremely high temperatures (more than 1,000 degrees Celsius) to melt the gold and evaporate the mercury, leaving the gold layer on the surface—a dangerous process as it involved boiling off poisonous mercury. Finally, it was burnished with agate stone for a smooth, shiny finish. Unfortunately, the top tier of the crown has been lost. It has a screw-in mechanism to attach to the head of a santo. The previous owner had always placed this crown on the large exquisite head of a saint in molave wood that was sold in a recent auction.
Lot 211 of the Salcedo Auctions live and online auction on 23 November 2024. Please see salcedouactions.com for more information and to place an online bid.