Chapelet

The rosary, an object of devotion, has taken many different forms over the centuries. This is the traditional Rosary of the Blessed Virgin, probably the most widely used, and in fact a third of the Rosary, which is often preferred because of the latter's inconvenient use. This Marian rosary consists of a small cross, followed by a single bead, then a series of three beads, then another single bead, threaded on a thread or chain attached to the top of the stipe. This short series usually ends on a medal or plate, from which a large loop develops, comprising five dozen beads separated by isolated beads. The recitation of this type of rosary, which admits of variations, never deviates from the following pattern. On the cross, a Credo. On the first bead, an Our Father. On each of the following beads, an Ave. On the last isolated bead, the doxology Gloria Patri et Filio et Pater. Each grain of the tens corresponds to an Ave, the tens being separated by the Gloria Patri and a Pater. The rosary's state of preservation is average, but the object is almost complete, allowing for a satisfactory examination. The cross and the first isolated bead are missing. The assembly presents an unusual aspect. The beads are arranged on a brass chain, perhaps originally silver-plated, with elongated S-shaped links. The beads corresponding to the Ave are small, roughly spherical beads, apparently made of boxwood, pierced and varying in diameter from 6 to 8 mm. 30 are intact or almost so, 4 are damaged, 3 exist only as fragments, and 15 have disappeared altogether. The individual beads are made of brass, and consist of four turns of wire, held together by small metal parts, onto which tightly wound turns are in turn wound. One of those separating the tens has disappeared. The circle, which measures around 64 cm, and the straight part of the rosary are attached to the loops of a V-shaped piece, 20 mm high and around 28 mm wide, also made of brass, with the appearance of a tight mesh. Dating the object is all the more difficult as the shape of the cross, which could have provided a modest element of precision, is unknown to us. One thing is certain: the organization of the rosary into tens separated by grains only dates from the end of the 15th century, and the present object cannot therefore predate this period. Attempting to suggest a date between the 16th and 17th centuries seems complicated, given the lack of points of comparison for assessing the rarity of such an archaeological object. But given its state of preservation, there's no doubt that this is a significant find.