Silver pax.  With the silversmith Domingo Durango's hallmark (based in Daroca and active circa 1580) 13 x 11 x 5cm. WEIGHT: 321 G. In the shape of an aedicule or small Doric order temple. The base is extended at the ends by two plinths on which two balustraded columns stand, supporting a small entablature on which a curved pediment rests. On the pediment a crest is displayed based on scroll elements. The scene represented in the central section is the seated Madonna with the Child seated on her lap. The image is sheltered in a niche and is flanked by three cherubs on each side. On the pediment, God the Father gives blessing. There are two inscriptions on the shrine: on the entablature SANTA MARIA and on the base ORA PRONO (BIS) with a small cross in the centre. There is a handle on the back that functions as a stand for placing the pax on the altar and for passing it from one worshipper to another. It bears the silversmith's mark; O/DUR.  This mark, according to the studies of Daroc silverware carried out by Fabián Mañas Ballestín, corresponds to the silversmith Domingo Durango, active around 1580 and with documented work in various locations such as San Martín del Río, Villahermosa del Campo, Báguena, Burbáguena, Lanzuela, Loscos, Lechago, Valdehorna and Villanueva de Jiloca. One of the objects used for worship that has fallen into disuse is the pax. It is a small piece, which can be made of different materials, such as metal, ivory, ceramic, etc., with an image or signs in relief. In the most solemn celebrations, the pax was passed from one member of the congregation to another to be kissed in a mass for peace. The origin of the pax dates back to the Middle Ages, but it was from the 15th century and especially in the 16th and 17th centuries that it reached its peak, its use declining at the end of the 19th century. The first paxes were conceived with very elaborate Gothic architecture, derived from medieval reliquaries in the form of an aedicule. It was in the second quarter of the 16th century when the typological change in the pax took place, through the introduction of Renaissance silverware models and after the Council of Trent (1545) its iconographic repertoire was enriched. From the beginning, these objects were conceived as small architectural pieces that contained a devotional image. Juan de Arfe describes the way to make a pax in his Varia Commesuracion: "Two parts make the top of a pax, and one of them forms the seat, setting itself towards the upper side, and so that this seat is capable, it is made with a stout base, and the handle is very light so it goes in such a way that it neither twists nor falls."   Reference bibliography: - Sanz Serrano, María José. (1982). “Portapaces renacentistas del museo Lázaro Galdiano”. Goya: Revista de arte. Nº 167-168. pp. 258-270. - Xilocapedia. (21 de agosto de 2015). “Durango, Domingo (platero)”. http://xiloca.org/xilocapedia/index.php?title=Durango,_Domingo_(platero)