Antique French Ecclesiastical Crosses - Crucifix - Priests' Pectoral

Antique French Ecclesiastical Crosses -  Crucifix - Priests' Pectoral Cross - Beautiful Antique French Artefact - RC162

We now only have the one on the right or in the first four photos left available of these three.

These very fine Antique French Priest or Nun's Pectoral Crosses are all unusual and very old; these are well worn and loved items.  They are for sale individually, and we have priced and numbered them from left to right. All are from the eighteen hundreds.

One: Left: This is by far the largest cross at a little over six inches or one hundred and fifty two millimetres high. Weighing around eighty grams.
The outer shell or surround of the cross and corpus are solid bronze with an infill of dark hardwood. The corpus and adornments are riveted to the wood. There are signs that it once had the skull and cross bones attached but it appears that it is long gone. The back of the cross is adorned with a bronze Sacred Heart and the rivets showing through from the front decoration. Price €179

Two: Middle: this is a five inch or one hundred and thirty millimetres high by two and a half inches or sixty millimetres wide. It weighs forty five grams. This is an unusual form as the hardwood is inlaid into the bronze of the cross rather than a bronze surround. It is in very good condition for its age. This crucifix bears the skull and crossbones at the Feet of Christ. The back is plain, solid bronze with the marks of rivets from the decoration on the facade. Price €139

Three: Right:  This crucifix appears to be slightly older than the other two and has signs of names carved into the wood on the rear. It is five inches or one hundred and twenty five millimetres high and two and a half inches or sixty two millimetres wide. It weighs fifty grams. The dark hardwood is set into a surround of bronze and the front bears the full bronze decorations of The Body of Christ, the Sunburst, INRI Scroll and the Skull and crossed Bones. On the back, the wood bears a small Sacred heart in the centre of the cross and the bronze rivets from the front decorations. There is an additional loop at the top for hanging the crucifix on a wall. Price €159

These crucifix once belonged to a member of the French Clergy and then came into the collection of a colleague specialising in religious antiquaries in Central France; we purchased the collection from him a few years ago when he retired from the Antiques Business and moved to the South of France.

The three are lovely, original pieces that have been cherished for many years;  we do have similar crucifixes in stock; most are from the same collection