Provenance Revealed: Silver from Toro, Spain

The programme opens at the Victoria and Albert Museum with an institutional welcome and a first session devoted to reconstructing the material, devotional and heritage history of the monstrance, from its commission for the Collegiate Church of Toro to its disappearance and subsequent recognition. Throughout the day, the programme addresses key issues relating to provenance, museums and the art market, with a particular focus on the contemporary challenges of research and the ethical stewardship of historic objects. 

The broader historical context is explored through discussions of collecting practices and the presence of Spanish art in museums during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 

The final part of the event focuses on the relationship between art and spirituality, analysing the liturgical and architectural significance of monstrances in the Hispanic world. The conference concludes with a joint reflection on faith, objects and ownership, underscoring the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue in understanding and contextualising cultural heritage.