Spanish, Catalonia, circa 1530 and later

Christie's London, 5 February 1919, lot 121;

Sotheby's London, 4 November 1937, lot 27a

The Connoisseur: An Illustrated Magazine for Collectors, vol. 53, London, 1919, p. 226

The inscription on the present lot, SANT LAONART OPAGAT, translates to ‘Paid by Saint Leonard’, with ‘OPAGAT’ being a medieval spelling of the modern Catalonian ‘had paid for it’. The inscription should thus be translated as ‘this has been paid for in honour of Saint Leonard'. Along the top of the base are four panels with fine line engraving, each with a different iconographic scene.

St Leonard of Noblac was a widely venerated sixth-century Frankish saint, traditionally invoked as the patron of prisoners. His cult gained widespread devotion across medieval Europe, particularly in France. From the Middle Ages onwards, the cult of Saint Leonard spread rapidly outside of France, thanks to the popularity of some of his miracles, namely the liberation of Bohemond I of Antioch in 1103. Objects such as this underscore his role as an intercessor and confessor, embodying spiritual connection between man and God within the devotional traditions of the early Latin Church.

RELATED LITERATURE

Francesca Español, ‘Culte et iconographie de Saint Léonard en Espagne’, in Adeline Rucquoi (ed.), Saint Jacques et la France. Actes du colloque des 18 et 19 janvier, 2001 à la fondation Singer-Polignac, Paris, 2003, pp. 277-286