Reliquaries

Reliquaries were small boxes or cases to keep relics or souvenirs.

With a medieval origin, reliquaries were originally used hanging from the neck, although later on, other formulas were developed for the public adoration of saints' relics in Christian temples.

In the Americas, reliquaries were widely used by missionaries and advancers as sources of comfort, devotion and talismanic powers. These unique amulets evolved into a unique form becoming ostentatious artistic jewelry in the colonial period.

In South America, reliquaries that included religious miniatures, often painted on mother-of-pearl, were common.