A Pilgrimage Of Jerusalem

A rather wonderful early 19th century collage of souvenirs from a pilgrims journey to Jerusalem and the mountains that's surround it (the Judaean Mountains)

Many early pilgrims found their own souvenirs, in their quest to obtain that which was holy were not content to simply take home stones or dirt from a particular site. Instead, they actively chipped off portions of shrines, absconded with small statues, and anything else not carefully watched. In an attempt to prevent the piecemeal dismantling of shrines by over-zealous pilgrims, churches commissioned artisans to produce pilgrim souvenirs in the form of pewter badges and tin ampullae vials.

The central elongated appliqué symbolised the foot/footprint of the pilgrim with the painted latin verso "veftigium d.n.j. chrift in monte oliveti " roughly translated to below

veftigium -footprint/trace
d.n.j. chrift (Domini Nostri Jesu Christi) - Our Lord Jesus Christ
in Monte Oliveti - Judaean Mountains/Mount of Olives

Either side of the verso has the Jerusalem Cross, with pressed metal decoration hand sewn sequins and birds. Surrounding the footprint are small sections of rock/stone and minerals with a circular hand written inscription off where it was collected in Latin.

A few examples of what I can decipher

Torrente Sedron (Kidron Valley) a valley originating slightly northeast of the Old City of Jerusalem, which then separates the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives, and ending at the Dead Sea.

Dell Sepulcro Del Senor (the grave of the old man) The Edicule shrine

Domo Ascensionis, The Dome of the Ascension

Via Dolorosa, the processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path that Jesus took, forced by the Roman soldiers

Ecclesia Domitiani - The Church of the Domitian

Ecclesia Sancti Sepulcri - The Church of Holy Sepulchre

Tiberias ad mare Galilaeae - The site of the miracle of turning water into wine

Iter Desertum Lericho - The dessert road to Jericho

There are 28 specimens in total with many having missing sections to their labels, areas of staining, discolouration and losses to the silk ground. Many of the sequins are missing from the outer third of the collage. Housed in a later but 19th century gilt and glazed frame.

Pilgrims journeys where very much in vogue again around the early part of the 19th century, similar to the "grand tours" coveted by the wealthy of the time.

41/34/3cm