Ex-voto

I am pleased to offer for your consideration a beautiful flaming heart design ex voto or milagro. This is an Italian ex voto. it has got floral motif all around the heart edge. This ex voto came from Italy. It measures about 7.08" tall and about 5.31" at its widest part, it is full hallmarked sterling silver 800 (800/1.000) A lovely antique patina is present, I have not provided to clean it The monogram or initials on heart GR stands for Grazia Ricevuta (Italian language) it means, thanks for favours or prayers/miracles received. These religious item which are referred to as either Milagro ( miracle in Spanish) or Ex voto (vow in Latin) and is an image offered to a deity or a Saint in the form of a prayer or wish, and/or in thanks for desires or wishes fulfilled. Modern Catholic and Orthodox European ex votos and colonial Latin American milagros have their roots in Neolithic offerings and votary figures of the Bronze Age which were continued in the traditions of the ancient Greece, Rome, Catholicism and Hinduism, Ex votos exist at the boundary of object oriented magic and devotional prayer. They have a history of being used thousands of years in many cultures. They have become so popular that these beautiful items are bein used for decorative purposes and the smaller ones are even used as jewelry.