French Crucifix from c.Mid 1800's - Beautifully Carved Dieppe Christ

RESERVED for MICHAEL.
 

An extremely rare and beautiful crucifix from the Dieppe area of France made in the 1870s or before. The pale body of Christ, or Corpus Christi, is carved in intricate detail in three pieces of ivory and laid on a magnificent crucifix of burr-walnut veneered hardwood. This superb piece of work was sculpted by a French Dieppe Craftsman at the end of the Nineteenth Century.  Having stood the test of time it is available in fantastic condition today; the superb quality of the item is reflected in the price.

It may seem strange that Dieppe became a centre for ivory carving but in the 16th century an explorer and privateer named Jehan Ango frequently arrived with items from the far-off lands that he visited. Originally, the ivory from Africa was used to create religious objects such as this but it soon became popular amongst the elite who saw the ownership of ivory objects as being an important status symbol.

We by no means support the modern day use of Ivory but appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of these antique pieces.

Dieppe in France was the region where the very best sculptors worked at the end of the nineteenth century and this is apparent in the delicacy of the hand working and cutting of the figure. The detailing on the figure of Christ is superb and the cross is fashioned in four parts, mitred together in a true, age old craft fashion. This is easily one of the finest examples of this kind of work that we have seen. Above the head of Christ is a small plaque bearing the symbol 'INRI' for Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. At the back of the cross there is a metal loop to allow for wall - hanging. Should you wish to have other pictures to study please contact us and we would be happy to provide them for you.

The dimensions are:-
The wooden cross is 13.75" high x 7.25" wide x 0.4" deep...(355 x 183 x 11mm)
The Corpus is 6.5" high x 5" wide x 1.25" deep....(162 x 123 x 30mm)