A mid 16th Century style Limoges enamel reliquary casket

A mid 16th Century style Limoges enamel reliquary casket, initialled IR and dated 1543, the enamel panels set in a gilded wooden frame and with fabric lined interior, the rectangular panels to front and back containing portrait vignettes of saints and one Continental Armorial, the ends with conforming square panels, one triangular panel to end of cover missing, 22cm wide, 9cm deep, 20cm high

Condition Report:

Two feet have been knocked off at one end, one is with the lot. A section of the carved cresting is loose but with the lot. One triangular enamel panel missing. The frame has certainly been re-gilded and may have been altered but it is difficult to assess owing to the gilding and the fabric lined interior.

Panel to front of lid: Overall appearance good. The initials and date are in the oval to the right, there is some wear and scratches and faint hairline cracks visible under magnification. Crack and chip to top right-hand corner.

Front rectangular panel: overall appearance good. various surface wear and scratches, particularly around the keyhole. Some cracks including across top right corner and to left hand edge, enamels chipped to bottom right corner.

Panel to rear of lid: initialled and dated to oval on right, overall appearance good. Some surface wear and scratches to enamels.

Back panel: initialled and dated to oval on right, overall appearance good. Some surface wear and scratches to enamels. Small chip to enamel in right hand oval.

Triangular end pieces: one missing, the other with surface wear and scratches, particularly to the raised enamels.

End panel one (Virgin Mary): This panel looks painted in imitation of enamels. Vertical crack to paintwork and some surface wear.

End panel two (Depicting Angel): Initialled and dated, overall appearance good. Some surface wear and scratches to enamels, particularly to left-hand edge.