18th Century French Crucifix in a Giltwood Frame

$3.800,00

A magnificent example of an 18th century French crucifix, its representation of the tortured Christ expertly carved from ivory, with exceptional attention paid to anatomical detail and facial expression. The figure is mounted on a black velvet background, and set within an extremely elaborate carved and gilded softwood frame, topped with a crest of radiant sunbeams. Devotion to the crucifix began to appear in Europe in the 17th century, with religious leaders urging faithful followers to display them in their homes, or hang them on their bedroom walls as a way of proving their devotion to God. They were produced in large numbers, but the most valuable ones were crafted from ivory, which took exceptional skill and expert craftsmanship. Please note that there some yellowing of the ivory in places due to age, as well as some small areas of wear and repair to the gilt frame.

Additional information

Dimensions 39 × 7 × 73 cm

Out of stock