Fabulous wall plaque devotional religious piece, a crucifix with small hand carved ivory Jesus Christ, on carved wood cross. It has the look of a carved wood Black Forest item. The really interesting aspect of the decoration on this one is that what seems to be carved wood is not wood, it is moulded or embossed leather. Figural top ornamental surface, leather, shows an angel with beautiful wings, and below the crucifix you see a putti flanked by a pair or caryatids. Further, all of the leaves and fronds and vines are also leather. Very unusual and entirely handcrafted. Full measurements are noted on photos, but it is 20" tall and 13" wide overall. Notable, it was originally a crucifix with holy font just below. The holy font, likely a natural shell, would have fit there just above the putti's head, and can be replaced with a small natural shell if desired. Purchased decades ago in France.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. Noting the decor is mostly leather, and very little has gone missing over the past 170 or so years since created, I can say I have never found another like this. A few of the ivy leaves have been lost to time, but more than enough remain for it to not appear bare at all. The faces formed in leather are fascinating and works of art, both top and bottom. You can see one break at wrist on the Christ figure, but nothing missing.
IMPORTANT NOTE regarding antique tortoise shell or ivory: We are great supporters of protection for endangered species in our modern world. We never buy or sell anything 100 years or newer; we donate to anti-poaching organizations; we don't hunt; we conserve in ways that impact global warming (we're totally solar at home), knowing those measures also protect the animals in the wild today. We also recognize the vast cultural history we preserve with our care and reverence for these antique objects, and agree with CITES that objects over 100 years of age have nothing whatsoever to do with species depletion in our current world.
Our offering exceeds the age limitation of "more than 100 years of age", and is well within the exemption for CITES regulation. If imported, met the CITES regulation. This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah business, and is not available for shipment internationally, nor within the USA to California, NY, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington if it contains ivory, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.
