Object Description
This is a fine antique Italian patinated boxwood “Christo Morto”, Corpus Christi altar cross, dating from the mid 17th Century.
The details are very impressive, the Corpus Christi is very finely carved in box wood and life-like, wearing a flowing linen cloth, his eyes closed and head down cast on an ebonsed cross.
The craftsmanship is second to none throughout all aspects of this magnificent Corpus Christi which is sure to add an unparalleled touch of sacred art to your home.
Condition:
In good condition. As an antique item, the cross shows signs of use with minor losses commensurate with age, these minor condition issues are mentioned for accuracy and, as seen in the accompanying photographs, it displays beautifully.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 40 cm x Width 27 cm x Depth 9 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 1 foot, 4 inches x Width 11 inches x Depth 3 inches
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus, is the best-known symbol of Christianity. It is related to the crucifix (a cross that includes a corpus, usually a three-dimensional representation of Jesus’ body) and to the more general family of cross symbols, the term cross itself being detached from the original specifically Christian meaning in modern English (as in many other western languages).
The basic forms of the cross are the Latin cross with unequal arms (✝ } and the Greek cross (✚) with equal arms, besides numerous variants, partly with confessional significance, such as the tau cross, the double-barred cross, triple-barred cross, cross-and-crosslets, and many heraldic variants, such as the cross potent, cross pattée, cross moline, cross fleury, etc.
For a few centuries, the emblem of Christ was a headless T-shaped Tau cross rather than a Latin cross. Elworthy considered this to originate from pagan druids who made Tau crosses of oak trees stripped of their branches, with two large limbs fastened at the top to represent a man’s arm; this was Thau or god.
Our reference: A4196