Monstrance
1762
Medium
Silver gilt, beveled glass surrounded by seimprecious red, green, blue stones and clear paste
Dimensions
70.2 × 38.1 × 20.1 cm (27 5/8 × 15 × 7 7/8 in.)
Classification
silver
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
33274
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Goldsmith Josef Moser designed this monstrance as a metaphor for Christ’s sacrifice. The base forms a sacrificial pyre for burnt offerings, which emit a heavenly vision of golden smoke, clouds, and light. At the summit God the Father gives his blessing, with the dove of the Holy Spirit below. A bejeweled glass vessel at the center would have held Christ, the Son, embodied as the consecrated bread of the Eucharist, replacing the burnt offerings of old. With the Eucharist placed inside, the monstr...