ANCIENT CILICE
ANCIENT CILICE
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This 115 cm long metal cilice, from an ancient monastery in northern Spain, embodies one of the most severe forms of bodily mortification practiced by certain religious orders. Its impressive length allowed it to be wrapped around the body, increasing the area in contact with its sharp points and making it particularly painful to wear.
Made of thick rope, it is reinforced by a series of coiled metal springs, each with sharp, inward-facing points. These hooks, placed at regular intervals, dug into the wearer's skin, inflicting constant discomfort and turning every movement into a continuous reminder of suffering and renunciation. Unlike shorter, localized cilices, this one exerted painful pressure on large parts of the body, causing continuous irritation and deep marks.
The advanced oxidation of the metal and the visible wear of the rope testify to its age and prolonged use. It could be worn around the waist, torso, or limbs, tightened with knots to accentuate its effect. Its exceptional length suggests that it could also be layered or doubled over itself to intensify the pain.
This metal cilice was not limited to mere physical discomfort: it imposed a true ordeal on the wearer, prolonging suffering over long periods, probably during prayer or manual labor. It embodied a faith in which the body had to be disciplined without compromise, in which pain was seen as a path to spiritual purification and elevation.
Today, this object remains a striking testament to the monastic austerity and extreme rigor that governed certain religious orders. Its design, much more restrictive than that of more conventional cilices, makes it a poignant vestige of the most intense penitential practices.
PERIOD : 18th century
DIMENSIONS : 115 cm
SIZE : 45"
The cilice, a voluntary instrument of pain, was widely adopted in various Christian communities for bodily mortification. It aimed to combat temptations while cultivating an identification with the sufferings of Jesus Christ in his Passion and the spiritual fruits that resulted from it.
