Vintage French Lourdes Devotional Easel Plaque – Our Lady & St Bernadette

Vintage French Lourdes Devotional Easel Plaque – Our Lady & St Bernadette

Recent purchase from a buying trip to nice France

9 cm tall

6 cm wide

A wonderfully atmospheric vintage French religious plaque depicting the Apparition of the Virgin Mary to St Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes.

The richly embossed scene shows Our Lady standing within the grotto with Bernadette kneeling in prayer below. Behind them is a detailed representation of the buildings and basilica at Lourdes, while a dove appears above the scene. Floral and scrolling decoration frames the composition, giving the piece an ornate ecclesiastical appearance.

Made from pressed base metal with a dark bronzed/silvered finish, the plaque has developed a particularly attractive aged surface, with areas of the original brighter metal showing through the raised detail. The integral hinged wire easel allows it to stand freely on a shelf, bedside table, small home altar or within a collection of devotional objects.

The rear easel fitting appears to be marked “MADE IN FRANCE”, supporting its origins as a French Lourdes pilgrimage souvenir. I would place it broadly in the early to mid-20th century, probably circa 1930s–1950s rather than attempting to date it more precisely.( Possibly older given the patina)

These small devotional objects were bought by pilgrims visiting Lourdes and taken home as personal reminders of the shrine and the reported apparitions of 1858. Comparable French Lourdes devotional pieces survive in a surprisingly wide variety of forms, from medals and plaques to small standing shrines.

The piece is in authentically aged condition with surface wear, oxidation, patination and areas of corrosion, particularly to the reverse. There is wear and loss to the original finish on the front, but the relief remains strong and remarkably detailed. The easel stand is present and functional. We have deliberately left the aged surface untouched.

A charming piece of French religious folk and pilgrimage history, and one that has far more character than the later mass-produced Lourdes souvenirs.

Suggested selling price: £37.00

Current vintage Lourdes plaques and easel souvenirs vary considerably, but comparable examples tend to sit around the £30+ range, with earlier and more decorative examples attracting considerably more.

Vintage French Lourdes Our Lady & St Bernadette Metal Easel Devotional Plaque