Blessing plate from the XVIIIth century.
Silver.
With contrasts.
Measurements: 12 x 6 x 2 cm.
Baroque blessing box made of embossed silver. The whole surface is entirely decorated with Baroque-inspired openwork vegetal elements, such as scrolls, foliated forms and radial motifs. The vegetal decoration is accompanied by figurative decoration, as in the central scene we see the Virgin and Child.
The benditeras are utensils that contain a container of holy water and are used to make the sign of the cross or to make the sign of the cross. They are a domestic version of the holy water fonts found at the entrance to churches, evoking the water fountains traditionally found around or inside religious and magical places. In popular domestic use, they are usually placed by the front door or in bedrooms and are used by their owners to make themselves holy when they go to bed or get up. They can be defined as small plates or slabs, usually oval, on which various motifs have been carved or moulded, and which are decorated overall. Their lower front part includes a shallow receptacle for holding holy water.