Reliquary Bust of Saint Apollonia

Abstract

Saint Apollonia, the patron saint of dentists, is shown holding a martyr’s palm in her right hand and a tooth in the left. The half-length bust contains a cavity at the center of its chest, which would have contained a relic. The sculpture contains some scratch marks and damage, but is in overall good condition. Likely, the sculpture was once enshrined in the Colleggiata di Santa Maria a Mare in Maiori. According to Luigi Mansi, relics of Saint Apollonia were once held in the crypt of Santa Maria a Mare along with the relics of Saint Clement, a first-century martyr, currently held in the Museo d’Arte Sacra Don Clemente Confalone, Maiori. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.