Curious About Shadow Box

[olecanalantiques]

Any ideas? New? Old? Probably new but neat..

[waywardangler]

No clue.  Religious stuff is deceiving in age to me.

[olecanalantiques]

Same here, it looks and feels old but i have been duped before...

[talesofthesevenseas]

Is there any branding on that absorbant cotton box?

[Oceans64]

Wow.... my laptop crashed and I really want tko search this... what is the significance of the Spoon?..

[Oceans64]

Looks like it was for administering last rights... google viaticum. Look for Catholic encyclopedia.

[olecanalantiques]

Is there any branding on that absorbant cotton box?

I will check when i get to the store in the morning..

Looks like it was for administering last rights... google viaticum. Look for Catholic encyclopedia.

Thanks for the search Oceans, kind of creepy!

[Oceans64]

Sorry for the brevity...  I'll search more too when I can.  We have had the perfect storm of PC issues this week.  2 Power sources down (on my puters) and 2 virus's (on hubby's).  I am working from my Nook and the fifth desktop that has a rat and a wheel dictating it's speed...

I asked my Dad to look...  and the above was what he found. I told him I thought it was cool and he said he thought so too "as long as you don't need it" LOL.  His thought was that it may have hung in a hospital since it is glass and would be impractical to carry around.  He had never see one and was an alter boy in early 50's and thru high school. 

[talesofthesevenseas]

I think that's a medicine spoon and that this is intended for prayers for healing- hence the absorbent cotton for soaking up leaking body fluids and the spoon for administering medicine and the bottle with the cross would hold holy water from a sacred site, maybe from Lourdes or some other place. Notice that Jesus is suffering too- I think this belonged to a very ill person who was praying for a miracle.

[ironlord1963]

     Sure would like a good shot of that spoon.  Looks like a tipped spoon but has a cross added to it.  Could you look to see if the spoon has any markings, just because well I like Flatware  .  I would vote for old, at least pre-war, I would say overall it looks early 1900's  just a guess on my part.  The items inside are looking pretty old.  The bottle at close inspection might give you a good clue.  That is of course if the items was gathered together at the same time.  Not really up on the religous items but sure have some sound logic here from oceans and Tales.   

[Oceans64]

It was really for administrating last rights.  Dad told me (as he was reading) the spoon was to moisten the mouth if need prior to receiving the Eucharist.  The bottle and cotton was for anointing.  The scene is of Jesus' death when he was removed from the cross and then of course the last supper.  

Since my powers of Google have returned, I found this too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viaticum

Some that have sold...
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-catholic-viaticum-oak-shadow-box-last
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1897-last-rites-sick-call-outfit-viaticum-shadow  (From 1887)
One selling for $650:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/50383852/antique-viaticum-oak-last-rites-wall

Google "viaticum shadow box" for more...

[ironlord1963]

    Curious as to would this be a personnal item or a item a holy person or nun would use again and again?   Would be more creepy if it was a personnal item for just one person before they passed.

[olecanalantiques]

Wow, i love this forum!! You guys so rock!

I figured it would be a great conversation piece at the very least. Iron buddy, i will get some shots of the spoon when i get to the store ( i do recall it being plated?). I'll try and get a few more photo's of the smalls in the box and the back of the box..

Oceans, thanks for the extra searching, i appreciate it!

[talesofthesevenseas]

VERY interesting Oceans! Tell your dad thanks! I would not have thought that!

[Oceans64]

Now to find a year!!  As said before, Dad kinda thinks it must have hung in a Rectory, hospital or something similar (old soldiers home etc). I think a few that have auctioned said they were hung in a home as a shrine and it definitely could be re purposed as such.  I think it would be odd for a lay individual to have it in their home just in case....

Something I haven't found but Dad was reading to me...  Some lay individuals could administer Last Rights which was especially true in rural area when there was one Priest in a hundred mile radius.  I assume these could hang on their walls as well.