Reliquary cross
It was originally designed for the liturgy in a church or chapel. It was placed on the communion table, complemen- ting the altar, but not replacing it. It was often also used in home chapels.
This very valuable altar, representing the work of the High Baroque, comes from the workshop of the famous Prague goldsmith and silversmith Rinaldo Ranzoni (22 August 1671, Bologna, Italy – 7 June 1737, Prague).
Ranzoni was primarily a master of temple tools and utensils, working for the St Vitus Cathedral and for the St Vitus treasure (the frame of Madonna), as well as for Prague churches and monasteries, for example, for the Order of St Ursula. His works that have been preserved include the monstrances from Nižbor and from Počepice in the Sedlčany region, several chalices (National Museum, Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague), spoons and an etrog bowl (Jewish Museum in Prague).
He worked with great craftsmanship, using an aesthetically impressive Italian decor (pairs of angel heads and bouquets of roses) in combination with flat strip decor.
In 1726, with recognised annual profit of 2,000 guilders, Ranzoni was among the best paid goldsmiths in Prague. Unfortunately, in the same year he was hit by the death of his wife, who had a crucial influence on the economic operation of his workshop. After that Ranzoni ran into heavy debt, and although he married the much older Sibyl Tanner a year later, he was still lumbered with debts. In 1727 Marie Františka Kapounová sued him for embezzle- ment of silver and 5 brilliants for the monstrance that had been ordered for Stará Boleslav. In early 1730 Ranzoni even had to sell his house in order to pay his debts. He died in poverty without any