Two of my favorite thrift stores are affiliated with churches....I found this wooden plaque at one of these stores last week...
This brass object has candle wax drippings in the bottom. I found it at the Methodist church sale up north this summer and it was marked 25 cents....
I grew up in the Methodist church and I never remember seeing something like this there so I think perhaps it may be from the local Catholic church...
It really is quite pretty....in a Jeanne D'Arc Living decorative type of way...
Do you know how and why it was used?
Would you display or use this in your home?
Another religious plaque found at the same church thrift store...
...and a small shrine...
....I am not sure of the origins of these pieces but aren't they beautiful?
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33 comments:
You find the BEST things!!!
Hope your Fall is off to a great start!!
Have a great weekend!
Ruth
Hello Laura, what beautiful finds... I love going to the local church bazaars and flea markets, they have the most wonderful things at the most reasonable pries... I try to donate to their sales whenever we have things we need to part with... I want to somehow repay them for the beautiful things I take home... yours are lovely... Bisous... Julie Marie
All of those things are beautiful. We are Catholic and I am almost positive that is a candle holder that they use in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It is an eternal flame, the only time they extinguish it is on Good Friday. They relight it during the Easter Vigil Mass. Yours is very beautiful and I think it may have come from a Cathedral or a very old church. I could be completely wrong though...I don't work for Antiques Roadshow or anything :)
SMiles!
Michelle
I remember that metal piece at your lakehouse. I still don't know what it is. Maybe used in ceremony. You could make a candleholder out of it but it looks great just hanging with nothing at all.
xo...C
Greetings Laura,
Sorry I can't help with the origin or function of your religious relics. But, they are lovely and decorative finds. Congrats!
Marjorie
what ever, you lucky girl. you truly found something very desirable for some of us. i too am catholic. at first the little basket made me think it was one of those incense burners that the priest lit and walked around the church to bless us. but.....i'm thinking it should have a cap on top to lower down. the priest would walk around swinging it to and fro. like i said, you are a lucky girl and it brings back my early church days as a child. when i first saw them, i gasped. bestest, Denise
These are gorgeous and I would definitely put them in my house! Think of all the blessings! Not to mention they are interesting and beautiful decorations! Church sales are great!
Very pretty...reminded me of the priest carrying and swinging the incense also, but the candle makes sense too. Just visited my sister today... has several religious paintings and a 4 ft tall plaster Virgin Mary. Even if religion isn't "in"...religious icons are. Trish
What special finds. I love religious paintings, saints, and art. Whatever they were originally, they are just beautiful.
they are beautiful. where will you display them? i'd love to see what you do with your treasures.
blessings,
aimee
Great finds and yes I would display them espcially the candle holder. Very beautiful all of them
Lucky Laura! What beautiful finds!!! You can go to the procession next year!!!! Here churches never sale anything...I've to move...I love Madonna...she's my favourite!
Wish you a nice week end! Will you go to the lake house??? I'll make a market with Paola on Sunday...hope to sell...and to buy something!
Big hugs
Vale
Such special finds! I love very much!!!
Big hugs and have a nice weekend
I think they're Eastern Orthodox Catholic icons. The candle holder is too. You really hit the mother load....25 cents?!? What the? Hahahahaa! That must be good thrift karma!
Oh my gosh, they all are stunning, I want to go to those thrift stores!!!
Laura........those plaques are called icons - and my sister-in-law actually teaches iconography.......it involves deep prayer and meditation through the whole process of painting an icon........all done by hand.....
and the absolutely gorgeous gold hanging item would have had a red candle insert and held an eternal flame for the Blessed Sacrament......
either way; it was from a Byzantine Catholic Church (the Eastern Rite).....
those are amazing finds - and 25cents! wow!!
Laura, as two previous posts state that would have been a candle holder for the candle burning before the blessed sacrament. Oh my goodness and the icons.....I don't know what to day but oh my goodness! I buy religious art whenever I find it and I've never come across such beautiful pieces around here. And for 25 cents.
I've been to dozens of church sales, but never found anything so .... well.... churchy! That last item, the little shrine, is amazing. I would rework it, putting a photo or collage over the current image = probably sacriligious, but that's just me! I wouldn't display any overtly religious items in my home, except perhaps in an 'ironic' way. Again, just my own take. Happy sale-ing!
I love the brass thing. I would definitely use it in my home. .25 cents...OH MY, great bargain!!
Gorgeous finds! We too find ourselves drawn to religious icons or relics. Recently we found beautiful crucifix made in Germany and we were given a shiva bench with the star of David carved into the front by a dear friend.
hi. it's called a censer (thurible) it's a vessel suspended by chains, and used for burning incense at solemn Mass, Vespers, Benediction, etc. hope i could help :) lovely piece gio
The brass censer/candle holder/whatever is gorgeous - I would definetly hang it in my house and it would be one of my favorite things. And the icons! Another one of my weaknesses, althought I've managed to keep it pretty much confined to the Vigin of Guadalupe. There is so much "devotion" associated with the icons - they have been cherised and valued - how can you not love them? Recently discovered your blog - great photography!
So lovely finds, dear Laura!!!! These treasures will be wonderful in your house!!! Have a very nice weekend,
Hugs Jade
Oh I love them all. I have a fascination with all religious artefacts. I wonder if the metal thing is used for holding and 'swinging' the incense as they do in orthodox churches.
Have a great weekend Laura x Julie
Oh laura...what a neat find,I have seen something like that,I think your right,a Catholic church maybe...hope you are well,pouring rain here today!!! All the best,Chrissy
What some great finds - I love the ornate metallic piece - it looks like a candle holder that would hang in front of a statue or painting. I'd definitely display this and the paintings you bought. They're meant to be seen. Best wishes Valerie
Wow,
Yes they are Laura. So pretty!!
Thanks for sharing them with us.
Hope you have a nice weekend,
Rosemary
What beautiful pieces you found. I agree with the others, this held a candle in front of the blessed sacrament before. It's a very special piece.
Beautiful icons!
rosie
You have brought a beautiful piece of religious history! The Icon (picture) is of Mary and Jesus. The brass fixture is called a CON DEAL LEE. I have written it the way it is pronounced. My husband is from Greece and every Greek home has a cabinet, some built in, that hold religious Icons of Saints that are special to that person. The condeallee (not correct spelling) is sometimes electrified so it can be burning at all times next to the religious cabinet. Treasure this items! You can research Icons and the light fixture on the internet. It is very interesting to find the history of items like these. The cross on the light fixture looks more like Russian so I think several other religions have the same type of artifacts. Sharon
У Вас замечательные находки. Деревянная доска, по-русски икона. Я посмотрю в своих книгах, и скажу как она называется. А латунная вещь называется у нас лампада. Она висит перед иконой и в ней горит огонь, внутри должна быть стеклянная чаша, в которую помещают фитиль и масло. Очень красивая лампада.
thank you domishkov for your comment....the translation is:
You have remarkable findings. Wooden board, in Russian icon. I will look in my books, and will say as she it is called. But brass thing is called [lampada]. It hang before the icon and in it burns the fire, inside must be the glass cup, into which are placed wick and oil. Very beautiful [lampada].
The icon is an icon of the Virgin "Soothe My Sorrows".
Laura, the photo I sent to yuor email.
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