Italian Silver Travelling Crucifix - Antique Circa 1800

Description

This exceptional antique Italian silver travelling crucifix has been crafted with a oak wood back.

The impressive cross design is ornamented with a cast and applied figure of Jesus Christ, surrounded by angel and putto designs, all below the plaque bearing the initials 'INRI'; (Latinate 'INRI', Greek 'INBI') pertains to 'Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews'.

This antique silver crucifix is further embellished with a skull and crossbones below the corpse; this denotes Golgotha (Calvary), which was the location of Jesus' crucifiction and translates from Hebrew as 'the place of the skull'.

Each cross bar terminates with an impressive applied palmette style design.

The Italian silver crucifix detaches from the original wood base; this allows the piece to be easily transported.

The base is ornamented with applied silver mounts to the edges in addition to an emblem of Our Lady of Sorrows; this illustrates Virgin Mary sorrowfully portrayed with a long knife/dagger piercing her chest.

This piece bears a label pertaining to the prior owner: 'Rev. P. O'Brien of St John's, Woodhouse Lane Manchester, M22 7NW'.

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