DOUG’S Q-C COLLECTIBLES: Is it sacred, morbid or a collectible?
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By Doug Smith | Monday, January 21, 2008 |
Dear Doug: The picture enclosed is of a Catholic Last Rites wall hanging with a Communion plate for a wafer. My father purchased this around the early 1920s. I would appreciate it if you could give me any information on it and its value.
Thank you,
Bill, Bettendorf
Dear Bill: The first question I have to ask myself is: Why would your father buy a Last Rites wall hanging? It’s not exactly something most of us would purchase, considering its purpose.
Some might think this a rather morbid subject, but this valuable family heirloom is a good example of how the faith and focus of Americans have changed over the years. The importance of God and his assurance to us that he has prepared a place in heaven for eternity has become less important than instant gratification in the here and now.
In those days, people were more attuned to being “ready for death.” And most people died at home at that time. So, when the time drew nigh and a priest was summoned in haste, the family wanted to have on hand what would be needed for their loved one’s final journey.
This is indeed a Last Rites, or Unction, altar, which includes a Communion spoon used to serve the disabled, and the paten, or dish, which holds the Eucharist. The paten has inscribed on it the letters IHS, the first three letters in the Greek language of Jesus’ name: iota, eta, sigma. (Capital eta in Greek looks like the English H). The focal point of the piece is a sculpture behind glass of the Pieta, the Blessed Virgin Mary holding her son Jesus after he was taken down from the cross.
A Catholic priest is the only person who has the proper authority to administer the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Last Rites, or Extreme Unction. The normal order of administration of Last Rites is: Penance (confession and absolution), Anointing and Viaticum. After penance, the priest anoints the forehead of the critically ill person with sanctified oil, usually drawing the image of the cross.
Then he will recite this prayer: “Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.” He then anoints the hands, saying, “May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”
The oil used in the sacrament is usually olive oil, which has been blessed by the bishop of the diocese at the Chrism Mass celebrated on Holy Thursday. The final step is to present the recipient with the holy Eucharist. When administered to the dying, it is known as Viaticum.
Perhaps your father or a family member was very ill when this was purchased, or perhaps he felt it was simply a beautiful symbol of faith for his home, which would be used for Last Rites and also in conjunction with normal prayer and worship, especially on holy days or during Lent.
Without any manufacturer inscriptions, it is hard to gather many specifics about this piece. It is not as uncommon as one might think and may have been offered for sale through the Sears Roebuck catalog.
You probably are pretty close when you say it was purchased in the 1920s, but it may be even decades older. It was made either to be hung directly on a wall or recessed into it.
Covering the Pieta is a beautiful multicolored, reverse-painted glass. The phrase “Blessed Be Thy Holy Name” appears at the bottom of the glass. Below that is a sacristy, or ambry, with the door shown in the down, or open, position. That is where the Communion spoon, paten and prayer booklets were kept. Often included here were instructions for readying one for administration of Last Rites of the Church as well as steps for assisting the sick and the dying.
Similar sets I have seen held a vial for holy water or anointing oils and a green scapular, traditionally worn by the terminally ill. The door to this ambry is adorned on the front with a glass-covered depiction of Jesus and the 12 disciples at the Last Supper. When it is in the closed position, this can be viewed and becomes another focus for meditation. A sconce for candles is mounted on either side of the oak frame box. Unfortunately, one of the decorative glass candle shades appears to be missing.
I guess the question is whether this altar is a sacred Catholic article of worship or whether it can be considered an antique collectible.
Like just about every manmade article of age, items of worship do indeed have a following among collectors who are fascinated by early items of the church. Christianity goes back a long ways — several thousand years — so an article from the early 1900s is not particularly old, especially something commercially available from Sears Roebuck. Believe it or not, this is not particularly rare and is not the type of antique or collectible that is going to be easy to sell.
It has a value of $200-$400, but my guess is that it would sit in an antique shop a long time before your “first rite” buyer came along.
Contact Doug Smith with your collectibles questions by e-mailing him at DougsQCCollecting@hotmail.com or send a note to the Quad-City Times, Attn.: features editor, P.O. Box 3828, Davenport, IA, 52808. Please send a photograph, if available, either by e-mail or letter.
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