Anthropomorphic reliquary of St. Stanislaus by circle of Marcin Marciniec (?)
The treasury of Vilnius Cathedral, created after 1387 and enriched by donations from the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, including Casimir IV Jagiellon and Elizabeth of Austria, Alexander Jagiellon, Sigismund I and Bona Sforza, representatives of noble families, bishops of Vilnius and other high clergy of the Lithuanian Catholic Church, was one of the richest in this part of Europe.
During the Deluge (1655-1660/1661) and the invasion of Grand Duchy by Muscovite and Cossack forces, most of the treasure was evacuated from Vilnius to Królewiec via the Neris River. However, the transport was captured by the Tsar's soldiers and their allies, who divided the precious objects and jewels among themselves as spoils of war. Another part of the treasure was taken to Samogitia and then hidden for a long time in Ruzhany Castle, owned by the Sapieha family. In 1667, it was returned to the cathedral. In September 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, these preserved treasures were hidden by members of the cathedral chapter and rediscovered in 1985 during restoration.
Among the precious objects spared from the looting was the splendid reliquary of Saint Stanislaus, considered the oldest preserved in Lithuania (height 41.4 cm). This reliquary is believed to be a work of the early 16th century, which, given its style, is very plausible. It is dated precisely between 1500 and 1503, as a document from Vilnius Cathedral dating from 1503 states that at that time, the "hand of Saint Stanislaus" was exposed for public veneration twice a year. According to a tradition, not confirmed by documents, a small part of the saint's remains was donated to Vilnius Cathedral in 1388. Although this Late Gothic silver-gilt container in the shape of a hand is attributed to the Vilnius goldsmith, its creation coincides with another splendid reliquary of Saint Stanislaus, for the head of the saint, founded by Queen Elizabeth of Austria and created in 1504 by the Kraków goldsmith Marcin Marciniec (d. 1518), court goldsmith of the Jagiellons.
The sapphire ring on the reliquary's finger was a gift from the Prelate of Vilnius and Bishop of Samogitia, Ioannes Domanovius (d. 1563). A protégé of Queen Bona, Domanovius studied law and theology in Italy. He traveled to France, Spain, Portugal, and Germany.
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