Free to use stock images of antique Catholic items created hundreds of years ago such as: statues, holy books, chalices, crosses, and more.
Saint of the Day: October 26 About the Image: Painted wood sculpture from Spain in the 1600s involved a team of artisans working under a lead sculptor. The sculptor first carved numerous pieces of wood in complex forms. So the paint would stick properly, these fragments were delicately covered in...
About the Image: This representation of Christ joined with the Virgin and John the Forerunner (the Baptist), one of the most widespread middle Byzantine icon types, is known as the Deesis. By tradition, the first witnesses to Christ's divinity, the Virgin and Saint John came to be seen...
About the Image: This striking statue represents Saint John of Capistrano. Key features and observations: 1. Gesture and Posture: Saint John's raised finger is symbolic of his role as a preacher, teacher, and his habit of delivering powerful sermons. It emphasizes his act of proclaiming or emphasizing a...
About the Image: A masterpiece in the corpus of Byzantine ivory icons, this small representation of the Crucifixion is the only surviving portion of a triptych whose wings are now missing. It was probably used as a personal devotional object in a private setting. The entire scene is represented taking...
About the Image: This is a fascinating artifact from the rich tapestry of Syriac Christianity. The image appears to be a folio from a prayer book related to services for the dead, written in the late 13th century in Syria. Let's delve deeper into the context and significance...
About the Image: Ethiopian handheld crosses, often referred to as "processional crosses," have a rich history and are distinct in their design and cultural significance. Let's delve deeper: Design and Material: * The intricate lattice-like design is characteristic of Ethiopian crosses. Each design pattern, though sharing similarities,...
About the Image: Standing erect, a spear in his hand and a shield at his side, Saint Demetrios is shown ready to protect the Christian faithful. The name of the popular Byzantine military saint is inscribed in two parts in Greek. Martyred in Thessalonike, the second most important city of...
About the Image: This is a splendid example of Byzantine art, specifically from the Middle Byzantine period. Reliquary caskets such as this one were designed to house and protect sacred relics, often pieces of bone or clothing from revered saints. The artistic and spiritual significance of this piece is rich...
About the Image: The artwork depicts two figures, Mary and John, captured in a timeless embrace of shared grief and understanding. Hailing from the medieval era, the artwork is distinctive for its rich textures and muted, earthy colors. Mary is portrayed with an aura of gentleness, her face cast downward...
About these Images: Elaborately worked in cloisonné enamel, the lid of this box displays Christ on the cross wearing the colobium (sleeveless or short-sleeve tunic) associated with early images of the Crucifixion. Christ stands erect, his eyes wide open. His posture, the sun and the moon on either side of...
About the Image: This ivory plaque depicts Mary, Joseph, and one of his sons from a previous wife on their way to Bethlehem. The scene is set within an architectural frame that combines Byzantine decorative elements (such as the acanthus leaf column capitals) with Islamic architectural motifs (most notably, the...
About the Image: This almond-shaped enamel plaque depicts the half-length figure of an angel inscribed in a medallion. A nearly identical plaque in the cathedral treasury of St. Martin at Orense in Galicia (Northern Spain) suggests that this plaque once formed part of a large altar frontal commissioned by Bishop...
About the Artist: Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, primarily known for his work in ceramics. He was the son of Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), the brother of Girolamo della Robbia (1488-1566), and the grandnephew of Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482)[1]. Giovanni worked as an assistant...
About the Image: Christianity most likely arrived in Ethiopia in the first century. The conversion of King Ezana in 330 c.e. led to its official acceptance and the minting of coins bearing one of the earliest uses of the cross as a Christian symbol. Although the silver pendant crosses...
About the Image: This relief was once part of a larger object, probably a decorated metal sheet that covered a painted icon for protection and embellishment. Christ, holding a Gospel book in one hand and making the sign of blessing with the other, would originally have faced a portrait of...
About the Image: This cross depicts at its center a second small cross of the Crucifixion, flanked by miniature representations of the lance and sponge, instruments of Christ's Passion. The skull below suggests the name of the hill - Golgotha (place of skulls) - and also refers to...
Details: This small triptych icon is fitted within a silver frame and was meant to be worn on the chest as a pendant. The outside of the frame is engraved with floral ornament and has a small relief Crucifix in the middle. In the top register on the inside, the...
Details: According to legend, Saint Catherine was a learned noble maiden from the Egyptian city of Alexandria who was martyred in the early 4th century on account of her Christian faith. The three small scenes at the bottom of this panel illustrate episodes from her life: the Roman empress is...
Details: The inscription around this sumptuous book case states that it was ordered by George Evinikhidze, secretary of King George XI of Kartli (r. 1703-1709). The case is made of exceptionally pure gold and is so soft that it feels as if it might melt in one's hand....
Details: DID YOU KNOW? This miniature masterpiece was held and caressed within the palm of the holder as they prayed and meditated on their faith. What do you use to focus or engage in quiet concentration? DESCRIPTION Prayer nuts or "paternosters" are generally made from boxwood and carved...
The carved scenes of this diptych (hinged two-paneled object) read from left to right, beginning at the bottom: the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Betrayal of Judas, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension, and Pentecost. In the Middle Ages, wealthy nobles commissioned exquisite diptychs, illustrated prayer...
This is a Roman sarcophagus located in the crypt of St. Andrew's Church in Cologne, Germany, which contains the relics of Albertus Magnus, a Catholic saint and bishop known for his contributions to philosophy and theology during the Middle Ages. A sarcophagus is a stone coffin, while a...
Details: This seated Virgin and Child was carved in the middle of the 13th century, a time when private devotional practices became increasingly popular. In bedchambers or in small oratories, private domestic spaces set aside for prayer, images like this would have served as focal points for prayer and meditation....
Details: The Georgian inscription on the handle of this cross indicates that its silver frame was commissioned in 1713 by Domentius IV (Damian Bagrationi), Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church from 1705 to 1741, "for the forgiveness of his sins." The woodcarving inside carries Greek inscriptions and was...
