|
GUIDE TO THE
EXHIBITION "CHRISTIANITY IN LITHUANIAN ART"
(28 December, 1999 - 31
December, 2003)
Hall III
Treasury hall presents over 250 jeweller’s art treasures
of great value owned by the Vilnius Cathedral Treasury and other
Lithuanian churches. They include monstrances, reliquaries, crowns,
chalices, patens, crosses, candlesticks, jugs, pastorals, pectorals,
rings, etc. This unique collection of applied art objects
used for sacred purposes
from the 14th to the 20th centuries was created by the most prominent
Vilnius, Augsburg, Danzig, Königsberg, Aachen, Florence, Paris,
Poznan masters and is displayed for the first time.
There is no evidence that the accumulation of the Cathedral Treasury
goes back to the times of King Mindaugas, however, there is every
reason to believe that besides the most necessary articles for
liturgical rituals, Mindaugas’ royal insignias were also kept in the
Cathedral. Undoubtedly, the formation of the Treasury was started
shortly after the baptism of Lithuania in 1387; the baptisers of the
Lithuanian people, Jogaila and Vytautas, as well as their spouses were
the first to donate precious church articles to the principle temple
of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The objects pertaining to the end of
the 14th century and the time of the baptism are a small portable
ivory altar, the stipula (a ritual stick restored as early as 1563) of
the Cathedral prelate chanter and the reliquary of the bishop and
martyr St Stanislaus’ hand (not displayed, returned to Vilnius
Cathedral Basilica).
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Crown of the Virgin
Mary in the painting
Trakai Mother of God.
West Europe, ca. 1640.
Gold, precious stones,
pearls, enamel. This crown
is thought to be the gift of
Duke Leonas Sapiega,
Chancellor and the
Commander-in-Chief
(hetman) of Lithuania, the
Governor (voivode) of
Vilnius. Church of the
Visitation in Trakai
(showcase 1) |
Crown of the Child in the painting
Trakai
Mother of God. Lithuania or Italy, 1718.
Gold, precious stones, enamel.
This crown commissed by Dukes Sforzas
together with the crown of the Virgin Mary
is thought to have been sent from Rome
by Pope Clement XI, giving permission to
crown this first miraculous picture in
Lithuania. Church of the Visitation in Trakai
(showcase 1) |
Set of liturgical vessels:
a tray and two jugs (ampullas)
for wine and water. West
Europe, 2nd half of the 19th c.
Gilded silver, precious stones.
Donors - Lithuanian noblemen,
the Tyzenhauz-Przezdziecki
families. Church of St
Matthew the Apostle and
Evangelist in Rokiskis
(showcase 16) |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Plaque Crucifixion
(portable altar fragment) -
Italy, ca. 1500 (?). Gold,
precious stone. Gift of
Count, Povilas Ksaveras
Bzostovskis, Referendary
of Lithuania and Canon of
the Vilnius Cathedral
capitula, to Vilnius
Cathedral in 1817.
LDM (showcase 14) |
Antependium of the Madonna of the
Compassionate Altar. Lithuania, Vilnius,
early 18th c. Silver, copper. Church of SS
Peter and Paul the Apostles in Vilnius |
Italian artist from the 17th c.
(?). Acheiropita - a
miraculous portrayal of the
Holy Face. Frame - Lithuania,
Vilnius, 18th c. Silver. LDM
(from Vilnius Cathedral) |
Over time, the Vilnius Cathedral Treasury accumulated
abundant collections of liturgical vessels and other articles of great
craftsmanship, made mainly of silver, gold, embellished with precious
stones, pearls, enamel painting, filigree, as well as of church
garments and tapestries. They were permanently augmented by the
donations of the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Casimir,
Alexander, Elizabeth Habsburg, Bona Sforza, Barbora Radvilaite
(Radziwiùù), and representatives of the Vasa Dynasty), the state
nobility, the bishops of Vilnius and other dignitaries of the
Lithuanian Catholic Church. The 1598 inventory shows that during the
16th to the mid-17th century, when the Old Lithuanian State was
flourishing, the Vilnius Cathedral Treasury was made up of unique
sacred art treasures and was valuable enough to compete with
Lithuanian rulers’ art collections (famous throughout Europe) kept
safely at the Grand Dukes’ Palace beside the Cathedral. It is not
accidental that such a collection was accumulated in the Cathedral.
The throne of the Catholic Bishop of Vilnius in the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania was always regarded as the most prominent and honourable,
and the Vilnius Cathedral as the great state’s principal temple
which embodied the country’s political and economic might as well as
cultural achievements.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Monstrance. Prussia,
Königsberg, Hans
Müller, ca.1660. Gilded
silver. Belonged to the
Church of the
Assumption in Kraziai
attached to the Jesuit
monastery and College.
Kaunas Cathedral
Basilica (showcase 8) |
Ciborium. Lithuania,
Vilnius (?), ca.
1580-1590. Gilded
silver. Belonged to the
Church of SS Johns of
the Vilnius Jesuit
Academy. Cardinal
Jurgis Radvila, Bishop
of Vilnius, might have
been the donor.
LDM (showcase 3) |
Chalice. Middle Europe,
ca. 1644-1651. Gilded
silver, precious stones,
enamel. Donor -
Kazimieras Leonas
Sapiega, Vice-Chancellor
of Lithuania. LDM (from
Vilnius Cathedral)
(showcase 5) |
Monstrance. Middle Europe, mid 17th c.
Gold, precious stones, enamel painting. Gift of Jurgis
Tiskevicius, Bishop of Vilnius to Vilnius Cathedral. LDM
(Showcase 4) |
In the mid- 17th century during the Russian and Swedish invasion,
the Vilnius Cathedral Treasury suffered great losses. The most
historically valuable treasures donated to the Cathedral by the
Lithuanian sovereigns were plundered by the Russian soldiers and
Cossacks and divided among themselves as loot. Another part of the
Treasury under the directions of Bishop Jurgis Tiskevicius was safely
transported from Vilnius. It was hidden for some time in the castle of
the Sapiega family in Ruzhana, and in 1667 was returned to the
Cathedral.
During the decline of the Commonwealth and in the years of the Russian
and Polish occupation, throughout wars and epidemics, followed by
demographic catastrophes, the Vilnius Cathedral Treasury was
permanently augmented by new donations and vigilantly kept safe from
possible dangers to ensure survival. Unfortunately, the scattered
collections of Lithuanian Grand Dukes were lost forever. In the 19th
century, Tsarist Russia began to close Catholic churches, the
treasures of which were transferred to the Vilnius Cathedral and later
were distributed to new churches.
In September 1939, with the outbreak of World War II, part of the
Vilnius Cathedral Treasury was hastily hidden behind a false wall in
one of the niches, other treasures, constantly used at liturgical
rituals, remained in the vestry of the Cathedral. The fate of the
shrouds and the relics of Lithuanian rulers, crowns and other
insignias of royal burial, which had been found in the vaults of the
Cathedral in 1931 and kept in the safes of the vestry during the war,
is unknown up to the present day.
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Monstrance. Middle Europe, ca.
1740-1750. Gilded silver,
precious stones, pearls.
Vilkaviskis Diocesan Curia
(showcase 13) |
Grand, or the Gostautas’
monstrance. Middle Europe,
1535. Gilded silver. Donor -
Count Albertas Gostautas,
Chancellor of Lithuania and
Governor of Vilnius. LDM (from
Vilnius Cathedral) |
Monstrance. Middle Europe, 16th
c. Gilded silver. This monstrance
had been for long considered to be
the gift of the Lithuanian and Polish
ruler Casimir to the Church of St
Francis of Assisi and the
Bernardine Monastery in Vilnius,
funded by him. In the post-war
years, the monstrance was
considered lost. Church of the Holy
Spirit in Vilnius (showcase 1) |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Cross. West Europe or the Holy
Land, late 16th -1st half of the
17th c. Wood, mother-of-pearl.
At the bottom - the coat of arms
of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
LDM (from Vilnius Cathedral)
(showcase 4) |
Monstrance. Germany,
Augsburg, Wolfgang Kolb (?), ca.
1671-1684. Gilded silver,
precious stones. Donor -
Mikalojus Steponas Pacas,
Bishop of Vilnius. LDM (from
Vilnius Cathedral) (showcase 5) |
Reliquary of St Eustace, called
the Gostautas (Gosztold) family
cross. Lithuania (?), 1st half of the
16th c. Bottom section - Lithuania,
Vilnius, the turn of the 18th-19th c.
Gold, gilded silver, precious stones,
crystal, wood. Gift of Count
Albertas Gostautas, Chancellor of
Lithuania and Governor of Vilnius,
to Vilnius Cathedral.
LDM (showcase 4) |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Chalice. State of the Teutonic
Order, Danzig (?), 15th c. Gilded
silver, precious stones. The oldest
Gothic chalice of the Vilnius
Cathedral Treasury.
LDM (showcase 3) |
The Vilnius Catrhedral Treasure |
Reliquary of St Mary Magdalen
de Pazzi. Italy, Florence,
Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (?), ca.
1678-1684. Gold, precious stones,
enamel. Cosimo III Medicci, the
Grand Duke of Toscana, might
have been the donor. Vilnius
Cathedral acquired it after the
death of Bishop Mikalojus
Steponas Pacas.
LDM (showcase 5) |
During post-war occupation and atheistic propaganda, with the
intention of preventing the Cathedral from being destroyed, the
Vilnius Picture Gallery was opened on its premises. During the 1985
restoration, the hiding-place of the Vilnius Cathedral Treasury was
discovered and the priceless art treasures were registered and
described in order to prevent them from potential transportation from
Lithuania. The discovered treasury together with the previously
received treasures were carefully preserved in special repositories of
the Lithuanian Art Museum. Part of the treasures necessary for
liturgical rituals were returned to the reconsecrated Vilnius
Cathedral Basilica. It was decided to present another part at the
exhibition Christianity in Lithuanian Art in connection
with the grand anniversary of the birth of the Saviour.
The exposition of the Vilnius Cathedral Treasury has been enlarged by
the jeweller’s art treasures possessed by other Lithuanian churches.
Hall III features liturgical vessels and other articles from the
churches of the Vilnius and Kaunas archdioceses as well as of the
Vilkaviskis, Telsiai and Panevezys dioceses. Most of these treasures,
hidden and kept safe from various dangers for long centuries, are on
display for the first time.
|
