19th Century French Silver Crucifix

Details

Description

A standing crucifix featuring a bronze corpus on a wooden cross dating back to 19th Century, France.

This is an … Read more A standing crucifix featuring a bronze corpus on a wooden cross dating back to 19th Century, France.

This is an antique standing crucifix, which consists of a sculpted figure of Jesus Christ, known as the "corpus," mounted on a cross with a base. This particular piece appears to be made of a dark wood. The figure of Christ is rendered in a detailed and sorrowful style, emphasizing the suffering of the crucifixion.
The small plaque at the top of the cross bears the letters INRI. This is an acronym for the Latin phrase "Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum," which translates to "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews". The Gospel of John states that Pontius Pilate had this inscription placed on the cross in three languages—Hebrew, Greek, and Latin—as a charge against Jesus. Crucifixes like this one, with a three-dimensional corpus, are a principal symbol in many Christian denominations, including the Catholic and Lutheran churches. See less