Help from Elle & others with St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491 – July 31, 1556)

[RELICDUDE07]

Found a artifact & trying to look into could it have been 1 from the De luna visit to the Florida area in 1559.Also if anyone has any info on was it more like a salvage attempt for the 1554 wrecks?? I know the ships had 1 salvage a year or so later ..But any info on if they came back a few years later to collect the 57,000 pounds of silver & some gold still on the 1554 Texas wreck sites??The main reason i ask is some of the 1554 splash ingots have turned up in the area,indian salvage or did deluna have any success View attachment 794968View attachment 794968

 

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[elle]

Unfortunately, your artifact does not date back to 1559. There is a halo around the head which indicates an individual's divine status.
Medals of St. Ignatius of Loyola could not have been produced until after his beatification on July 27, 1609.
On the bright side, the piece is so beautiful! How blessed you are to have come into possession of it.

Laura

 

[RELICDUDE07]

Thank you for the info!

 

[Chagy]

Its a rosary medal (notice the 3 holes, 2 on top and one on bottom) from the "Sweet heart of Jesus" and it looks old enough to date from the 1500's....As always just my humble opinion!!

 

[RELICDUDE07]

St. Ignatius had gotten a hair cut after the spanish knight days... This is a long hair pic of him--------hmm ----when did he cut his hair?lol

 

[Darren in NC]

Fascinating piece, RD! What's the story around the find? No location details needed, but was it found on the beach? While diving? Details, please

 

[RELICDUDE07]

It was a land find-about 200 yards from the tide line.... Found a old cross of Caravaca about 2 years ago & had a chance to hit the site again ....This was found almost in the same area -it could have been on the piece....Could have? not for sure-he doe's have the double cross on in the pic

 

[thetigers2]

Very Nice...

 

[Chagy]

From a rosary for sure...But it could also be the "Sacraded heart" very similar to the "Sweet heart of Jesus" I think they are identical

 

[elle]

The Heart of Jesus was not made public with artistic medals of devotion until the 1600s when
Father Jean Eudes established a feast for it (exciting because it's coming up soon this year on June 7, 2013).
Referring to RELICDUDE07's artifact, the cross shown on Christ's chest area
represents the love of God (the Sacred Heart). Therefore, I do not believe the rosary piece originated
from the 1500s. If I had to estimate a time period, I'd say it is from the early to mid-eighteenth century.

Laura ( Hi Chagy! Happy Wishes going out to you and your family!)

 

[RELICDUDE07]

Thanks Laura-The cross found has been dated-they found 1 just like it before...This could have been part of it..I'mJust not sure ,it was found about 5 ft. from the location of the cross.... FLMNH - Historical Archaeology - Caravaca cross

 

[elle]

Spanish crosses sometimes contained additional charms that hung down from the horizontal arms and/or from the bottom of them. I am researching a cross of this kind discovered on the Capitana of the 1715 Fleet at the Cabin site in Sebastian. It was all gold with three hanging fleur-de-lis (representing the Holy Trinity). The other example, I remember, is located at the National Shrine of St. Therese where a cross, circa 1704, contained two dangling hand Milagros. Thus, I understand why you might think your devotional medal came from the Caravaca cross. Honestly, I believe Chagy’s response is correct in that your piece belongs to a rosary since there are three attached rings (the bottom one I believe is corroded?). A hanging religious pendant on a cross, however, usually requires only one connecting piece from its top. RELICDUDE07, it seems as if you have two very different and unique artifacts, each with its own past. To me, two beautiful objects of faith fulfill a better understanding of your place of discovery. In the long run, these might lead you to more, revealing a mission, campsite, fort, or Indian village. All the best to you!
Laura J

 

[Red_desert]

Nice finds RELICDUDE07, interesting to see what can be found near beaches, thanks for sharing the pics.

 

[Hangingfor8]

Here' one I found a few years back.

 

[elle]

Hi Hangingfor8,
Do you remember the beach where your artifact was found?
Laura J

 

[Red_desert]

Looks to be in good condition, from what you can see from the photos.

 

[Hangingfor8]

Yes I do

 

[PhipsFolly]

Hey Laura... I have an incredible large and very ornate bronze caravaca cross that was recovered from the survivors encampment at the Cabin Wreck site back in the early 60's... It was recovered very close to the well that was dug on the site by the shipwreck survivors... Which is now buried under the parking lot at McLarty Treasure Museum. I don't mean to "hijack" this thread but since we are discussing religious medals and artifacts, I was hoping to ask for help in identifying some of the symbols and personages on the cross... If I send you some pics, do you think you could help? The cross is the size of a pectoral cross, not small like the ones that were typically given out to promote the spread of Christianity in the New World... I believe this cross may have belonged to a clergyman/priest.

 

[ivan salis]

relicdude 07 - strong chance that the "caracava cross" connected to the rosary 's jesus "center piece" as part of a complete rosary --being they were found in the same general area * you can easily "rebuild" into a historically correct "rosary of the early 1600 time frame --as a catholic I know the halo would not be on the medal until he was "officially" made a saint in 1609 --thus the item would be at the earliest 1609 , most likely post 1609

 

[elle]

Hola,
When Chagy displayed the modern medal showing Christ (thank you Chagy!), it became evident that the picture on the artifact was of Jesus and not St. Ignatius of Loyola. As one can see, the image exhibits a cruciform halo. This is a cross of three lines stretching beyond the halo which represents the Holy Trinity, especially Christ. In Medieval and Baroque art, the Virgin Mary was seen with a plain halo or a circle of stars.
I was under the assumption that the Caravaca cross, in general, was a large pendant. I apologize, RELICDUDE07, for I should have asked about its size. Sure, if the cross was tiny, it could have hung as an additional medal on a rosary, as Ivan so graciously concluded. If it was bigger in dimensional size, an inch or more, it most likely belonged on a neck chain.
I asked Hangingfor8 about his artifact locality because of my curiosity. I have a similar medal, almost identical, that was discovered on Douglass Beach (area of the 1715 fleet), although mine shows the Jesuit, St. Francis Xavier. Along with my wedding ring, I treasure it above all things. As a matter of fact I will be getting the medal officially blessed soon, which means in our Catholic faith, it could never be sold. That’s fine with me since I plan on taking it to my deathbed!
Anyways, since it brings me so much joy and inspiration, I spent much time researching these particular kinds of medals dating back to the 17[SUP]th[/SUP]-18[SUP]th[/SUP] centuries. They were mainly meant for personal devotion, and not for trade. People, religious or laymen, chose their own beloved saint to have on the pendants. Did priests of a specific order only carry items with saints who were of the same order? No, it all came down to personal preference, and the age of a saint’s popularity played a role sometimes.
Laura J