Relics Greeting Card by Open Sea

Collage inspired by the Catacomb Saints, which were the exhumed bodies of Roman Christians, ornately decorated with jewels and precious stones.

During the Beeldenstorm (attack on the images or statues) of the 16th century, Catholic churches throughout Europe were stripped of their religious symbols, iconography and relics. In response, the Vatican ordered that thousands of skeletons be exhumed from the catacombs beneath the city and installed in churches and towns throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

These skeletons were then extravagantly decorated and bejeweled, to replace the lost artifacts.

A2 4.25x5.5 IN.
ULTRA WHITE STOCK + SCARLET ENVELOPE
FULL COLOR PRINTING
FOLDED OVAL DIE-CUT
MADE IN THE USA

About Open Sea

Open Sea is a Brooklyn creative studio that specializes in fine stationery and paper goods. Artist Melissa Constandse creates paper goods that tell a story, not just with words and phrases, but with symbols, talismans, long lost traditions, and creatures from the natural world. She is inspired by the occult, the eccentricities of the Victorian era, naturalist prints, and treasures of the plant and animal kingdom. Each piece is meticulously designed with purpose and intention.