Reliquary bust of Saint; Spanish or Italian school; second third of the XVI century.

Reliquary bust of Saint; Spanish or Italian school; second third of the sixteenth century.
Carved wood.
It has a wooden base from a later period.
Measurements: 57 x 40 x 30 cm; 3 x 30 x 17 cm (base).
Reliquary made of polychrome and gilded wood representing a male bust wearing armor. An indication that it is probably a saint of the Theban legion or Saint Hermenegild. The sculpture, seated on a base of a later period, shows a longer bust than usual and a great dynamism in the movement, which has been achieved by the artist through the gesture of both hands, which probably carried some iconographic attribute in origin. Despite the idealism of the face, the work shows an evident quality that is evident through various details such as the fine folds of the band hanging from the shoulder, or the details of the shoulders of the armor.
This type of reliquary was somewhat common since the Gothic period, usually mentioned as "testas" in the documentation contemporary to its realization and used to contain relics of the head, as carvings of arms, etc. were used for relics of another part of the body of the saint. It should be remembered, however, that at that time practically any element that had been in contact with the saint or his mortal remains (cloths, burial soil, etc.) was considered a sacred relic. The best examples were made of precious metals, but specimens such as the present one were also highly valued, both for the container and, above all, for the content. The evolution of the centuries can be seen in the details of the carvings.