CROSS OF PASSION, RELIQUARY OF THE TRUE CROSS

This reliquary of the True Cross in bronze is a particularly original work in its shape and typology. This reliquary cross is decorated with the Instruments of the Passion and symbolic elements linked to it.

There relic of the true cross . is placed at the crossroads of the cross surrounded by rays of light.

The entire decor includes elements and objects relating to the Passion of Christ:

• The whip with which thirty-nine blows were inflicted on him during the Flagellation
• The sponge, fixed on a branch of hyssop, with which the vinegar was offered as a comfort to Jesus
• The nails that caused the wounds of Christ's hands and feet
• The spear carried by the centurion Longinus to the side of Christ, causing the last of his five wounds
• Groups of three angels presenting the Holy Grail, the legendary cup from which Christ drank during the Last Supper and which collected his blood during his death on the Cross
• The hammer used to drive the nails
• The pliers which made it possible to extract the nails in order to detach Christ from the Cross
• The ladder used during the Descent from the Cross
• The reed and the whip (the flagellum or the flagrum) used during the Flagellation of Christ
• The dice that allowed the centurions to draw lots for Christ's clothes

Ecclesiastical seal and silk threads present and in place

PERIOD : 19th century
DIMENSION : 43cm X 18.5cm
SIZE : 16.9" X 7.3"

In Christian symbolism, the Passion cross corresponds to a cross installed outdoors or in a church, or painted or sculpted, characterized by the representation of the “instruments of the Passion” of Christ, with the aim of reminding the faithful of the succession of its events.

The Cross of the Passion is sometimes called the “Cross of the Rooster” when it is surmounted by the image of this animal. It can be a monumental cross (mission cross), or a portable cross (processional cross) which can also be large. The Cross of the Passion is characterized by the presence of Arma Christi, in varying quantities, the most frequent being the spear, the ladder and the tools: hammer, nails, pincers, etc.

The Passion cross differs from the crucifix in that the character of the crucified Christ does not necessarily appear on it. On the other hand, certain Passion crosses in Germany (notably in the Black Forest) also show the centurion Longinus and are therefore called “Longinus crosses” (Longinkreuz). The traditional figures of the Virgin and Saint John may also be present.