A remarkable reliquary bust
Now look at the bust. Made in 1671 by the silversmith Philippe Lenoir, it is slightly larger than life-size. The face turned to one side, the finely worked beard and the gleam of the silver give the saint an almost lifelike presence.
Look closely at the vestments. The mitre is covered with scrolling foliage and gemstones. On the cope, angels gather bunches of grapes; the gilded clasp is adorned with flowers and fruit. Here the silversmith treats metal like a precious fabric, right down to the embroidery and folds of the garment.
The base itself is sumptuous: silver angels and cherubs stand out against a background of tortoiseshell.
This is an exceptional work. No other reliquary bust of such scale and quality is known in Belgium. To find comparable examples, one must look to the great works of Italian Baroque gold- and silversmithing, particularly in Sicily.
Considered a masterpiece of Mosan Baroque silverwork, the bust of Saint Perpetuus was designated a Treasure of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in 2023.