Treasures from Heaven: A Special Exhibition of Artifacts from the Holy See features 60 priceless objects, many of which represent some of the finest examples of craftsmanship in the world. Most of the treasures are usually stored in the Vatican Sacristy and are rarely displayed to the public. The exhibit is divided into six categories, namely the altar, the Holy See, the liturgical year, the pope and history, sacraments and the spread of Catholicism to the East.
During the Jan. 28 crate-opening ceremony at the Taipei institution, NPM Director Fung Ming-chu said that the event gives recognition to the facility’s leading position in the international museum landscape. “It also serves as evidence of strong ties between the ROC and our European ally through cultural operations,” she said.
Echoing Fung’s remarks, Monsignor Paul Russell, charge d’affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Taipei, Taiwan, said the exhibition is a result of the two nations’ 73-year friendship, adding that the displayed pieces will offer tourists and locals a rare insight into the quintessence of the Roman Catholic faith and liturgical culture.
One highlight of the exhibit is a reliquary and relic of St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest and apostle who led missions to India, Japan and Southeast Asia. Crafted between 1843 and the end of the 19th century, the silver funerary urn inlaid with gemstones features images of the saint’s life on small tiles surrounded by colorful glass.
The museum will also display a tiara of Blessed Pope Pius IX gifted by Queen Isabella II of Spain in 1854. The crown was encrusted with pearls and diamonds, and fashioned from silver foil cloth and gold embroidery. The fabric strips also portray images of doves, keys to heaven and lambs sitting on books.
Another intriguing piece is an aureate chasuble with stole and maniple. Gifted to Pope Pius XI in 1926, the vestment is covered in scenes depicting the Crusades, the Blessed Virgin Mary between angels and saints, as well as Franciscan saints and martyrs.
The exhibition is complemented by a selection of historical texts from NPM and New Taipei City-based Fu Jen Catholic University that shed light on the eastward expansion of Catholicism. (YCH-JG)
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