Chrismatorium before 1761

This is a silver Chrismatorium, made by the widow of Johan Henrich Thyl. The Chrismatorium speaks to the historical role of women in craft and trade. While women were often excluded from formal guilds, the continuation of a family's business by a widow was sometimes permitted, revealing both the limitations and possibilities within the patriarchal structures of the time. This object held holy oils, used in Catholic sacraments such as baptism, confirmation, and anointing of the sick, rituals marking significant thresholds of human experience. The Chrismatorium, therefore, operated at the intersection of the spiritual and the material, a crucial instrument in mediating divine grace. The cross and the letters 'I', 'H', and 'O' inscribed on the Chrismatorium aren't just symbols; they reflect the intertwining of faith, identity, and community. Consider how this object, small in scale, was central to practices that have shaped personal and communal identities for centuries.