17th century antique french baroque crucifix ebony gilt metal iridescent silver

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17th century antique french baroque crucifix ebony gilt metal iridescent silver:
$2850.00

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:: Description

Thank you for taking a closer look at this amazing 17th century baroque crucifix...Truly of museum quality, the gilt metal Christ figure is nailed to an ebony cross which is overflowing with ornate sculpted silver ornaments, including the holy water font at the base of the cross.It\'s worth noting that the silver has a desirable layer of \"iridescent toning;\" we see iridescent colors which have resulted from many, many years of photoinduced decomposition of the surface compounds of the silver.The crucifix has been mounted onto a striking frame (likely late 18th to early 19th century) of silk and giltwood.We find a label on the back of the frame that, we assume, has been placed here by an antiques shop at some point. It roughly translates to: A crucifix of \"pomponne\" (metal resembling gold) on a cross of ebony with chiselled silver ornaments. Era 17th century.
Side note on this metal referred to as pomponne: During the 17th century, the Marquis of Pomponne gambled away his collection of gold snuff boxes, and began replacing them with less-costly versions made from gold leaf welded onto copper. This practice was often used from then up until the late 19th century in the production of jewelry and semi-precious objects.Also on the back, in shaky handwriting, someone has written (translated), \"This crucifx shall be given after my death to Jean (last name illegible).\"
Some of the words have been written twice just above the first set of words; it\'s as if this person was ailing, perhaps a little confused, and was expressing his or herwishes as to who should inherit his or her most prized treasures. Did \"Jean\" ever receive this gift and, if so, did he pass on, as well? We will probably never know, but it\'s likely that whoever owned this crucifix beyond that point eventually died and either the children or grandchildren of the deceased carelessly put it in a pile of grandpa\'s/grandma\'s old stuff and consigned it to a \"depot-vente\" as often happens here in France when people pass away.We were amazed to find this rare and fabulous piece at an outdoor brocante/antique market; normally this type of item can be found only in museums or old cathedrals...Incredible!Condition of the crucifix, itself, is amazing for its age. We see a thin wire supporting the silver portion at the top of the cross and there has been some wear to the gilt Christ figure, as can be expected.The base of the cross has detached from the frame resulting in some movement (nothing serious).The frame shows the most wear: we see a crack in the wood at both the top and bottom of the frame, much of the gold on the wood has faded, and the silk background is quite worn in places. As can been seen in the photos, however, these traces of time do not distract from the overall beauty and goose-bump-inducing effect of thisspectacular crucifix.Measures just under 16 x 12 inches with the frame; the crucifix alone measures 13.5 x 9.25 inches.
Weighs 680 grams.

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