rosary workshop - museum - Europe - Crucifixes
CRUCIFIXES
EUROPE
WHY SKULL AND
CROSSBONES? - VICTORY OVER DEATH
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They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). (also see Matt 27:33, Luke 24:33, John 19:17) + THE PLACE OF THE SKULL The hill where Christ was crucified was called the hill of Golgotha or Golgatha (The Place of the Skull) long before the time of Christ. It was known by tradition to be the place where Adam was buried, thus the skull of Adam (also see below), The Place of the Skull. Was Christ crucified over the tomb of Adam, the skull of Adam? This tradition was first recorded by Alexandrian theologian Origen (c AD 185 -245) + 2000 years ago Golgatha was outside the city and where Roman soldiers executed criminals and near where travelers could see and be reminded. Eventually, the symbolism of the Skull and Crossbones under the feet of the crucified Christ became known as 'Victory over Death.' For more information, see VARIATIONS below: + TRAVELING VICTORIAN SHRINE - VARIATIONS - EUROPEAN TRADITIONALLY - GERMANY - HALOS - HEART - TITLE BOARD - SKULL & CROSSBONES - SKULLS IN ART - NUN'S ROSARY SKULLS - 1700s CRUCIFIX |
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Crucifixes of this kind were traditionally worn around the waist by religious (Priests, Brothers, Sisters) and often attached to full rosaries (15 decades). They were 'Profession Crucifixes' and given when one took his or her vow of profession. After Vatican II (1960s), their use began to dwindle. + We receive many requests for information on these crosses and crucifixes that people find in antique stores or family collections. We have supplied the little we know for starters but are open to hear what you have learned so we can share it with others. |
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More recently, around the turn of the century and late 1800s, a new metal called 'aluminum' replaced the metals used in the images below. It was very popular with the religious who wore them as it was so much lighter in weight. Aluminum crosses with inserts may be dated from about 1889 on. It is interesting to note that when aluminum was first extracted (around 1787) it was considered a precious metal and sold for $1200 per kilogram by 1852. |
~ VICTORIAN SHRINE ~
TRAVELING SHRINE
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obverse |
closeup: corpus / halo |
reverse |
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~ 3 VARIATIONS - EUROPEAN ~
COFFIN CRUCIFIX
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LEFT ABOVE: 'trifoil' or 'budding' cross is very European, with inserts of ebony wood. MIDDLE: A good example of the style of crucifix worn by religious on a rosary, but smaller. (This one, because of its size was probably a coffin crucifix, as noted above, or hung over a bed.) Note the skull and crossbones at the foot of the cross. (victory over death) RIGHT: all metal crucifix with no inserts of wood. (none of these crucifixes has a design on reverse) Note the crucifix on the right as looks more Spanish than German but carries the skull and crossbones at the bottom/ |
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~ TRADITIONALLY - GERMAN ~
+ GERMAN CRUCIFIX - I This crucifix has the filemarks on the sides, telling us that it is hand made and may date back to the late 1700s to early 1800s. Inserts are ebony wood. (6 X 3 in.) |
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Purchased in Ireland, antique dealer dated this crucifix 1800s. Note the insert is smaller. Inlay is ebony wood and metal is brass with a silver plate. It is most likely German dating mid 1800s. (5.25 x 2.5 in.) |
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These old inlaid crucifixes were all manufactured by hand. Usually you can still see the grinding and file marks and they are not perfectly symmetrical. The crucifixes with a manufacturing hallmark stamped on them are generally newer (late 1800’s early 1900’s). The "older" ones (early 1700’s to late 1800’s) seldom have a manufacturing mark (sometimes a "blacksmith mark"). They can be "inlaid" with almost anything. Usually the inlay reflects the character of the rest of the rosary. Hence, ebony bead rosaries usually (but not always) have ebony inlaid Crucifixes. I have seen them inlaid with ebony, walnut, rosewood, oak, grape vine, olive wood, gutta-percha, leather (usually died black), and I’ve been told porcelain (but I have never seen one). + Newer reproductions of these Crucifixes are usually inlaid with enamel or plastic and have no "grinding marks". The rarest of them have a "Skull & Crossbones" on them, attached just below the feet of the Corpus. Most are made of silver washed brass, although I have seen some that were unmarked Sterling (very rare) and a few marked Sterling (also rare) and an occasional aluminum one. Linda Schmit of My Brocante (ebay) - thanks, Linda |
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~ THE HALO ~
The halo behind the head of Christ is different in each of the crucifixes below. Also note the file marks, especially the one on the right and left that identify that the crucifix was hand made. |
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~ THE PIERCED HEART ~
Variations on design are always interesting, the symbolic pierced heart surrounded by the crown of thorns is a beautiful example. Not how they stay close to the similarities of message in the crown, pierced and burning heart. |
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~ TITLE BOARD ~
The title board was hammered to the crucifix above
the head of Jesus. It was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek: JESUS
THE NAZOREAN, THE KING OF THE JEWS
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Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, "Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews." Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that he said, 'I am the King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." |
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~ SKULL & CROSSBONES ~
VICTORY OVER DEATH: The Skull and Crossbones symbolize several things in Christian Art, especially on Crucifixes. the skull of Adam for one as it was believed Christ was crucified over the Grave of Adam. It is shown at the bottom of the Crucifix. MEMENTO MORI: Also seen on old rosaries and chaplets as 'Memento Mori' (Remember thy Death). |
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16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. 6 So they took Jesus, 17 and carrying the cross himself 7 he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. |
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The skull and crossbones symbol carries a very old tradition that Adam was created and also buried on Calvary, GOLGATHA ('The place of the skull') and this is where Christ was crucified. His blood, the blood of salvation, the living blood, the blood that gave and gives life ran down the cross onto the buried skull of Adam. (Believed to be a Jewish tradition.) + THE NEW ADAM +Since early times, Jesus is seen as the 'New Adam' ( And Mary as the New Eve ) overcoming the sins of Adam through his passion, death and resurrection. So the skull symbol -to many- represents Adam. Rare but seen, two skulls at the bottom of the crucifix, that of Adam and Eve. See EXAMPLE (also see St Paul's words about the New Adam below: ... GENESIS 3:5 ...
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~ SKULLS IN ART ~
FRA ANGELICO
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~ SKULLS on ROSARIES ~
+ I INCH SKULLS CARVED FROM COW BONE FOR CONVENT ROSARIES JOE PEREZ (from Church-Woman, Ebay) shared the following: "We never know when another of these rare relics will turn up again, and then after months of waiting, one or two arrive from one of the convents we work with. These little skulls were placed on a nun’s rosary as an ever present reminder of their mortality. You could say they were used to help focus when a nun was in silent prayer or meditating ... |
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+ Our special thanks go to Joe and Berta for allowing us to share this valuable look into history. (for more information or to see similar fine religious antiques, please visit Church-Woman on eBay. |
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~ 1700 CRUCIFIX ~ |
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A friend of mine bought it from an auction held by a Church/missionary from Florida to raise funds, he was told it belonged to a woman but may have spent many decades + in the custody of a mission -Spanish- in the South America. Nuns possibly ... It was in a church as a devotional piece. The estimated time was 1700 +. He just gave me this piece thinking I may feel an affinity with it. I am interested in finding more about it. |
SILVER, UNKNOWN CONTENT |
7.75 in high |
UNDER CHRIST'S FEET (VICTORY OVER DEATH) |
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+ ROSARY WORKSHOP ANSWERED The corpus appears to be Spanish and with its history above, suspect that it was brought to New Spain (Latin American). The Skull and Crossbones were traditional for the period symbolizing Victory over Death. We believe this dates it somewhere between mid 1600s to mid 1800s when the custom was discontinued. At 7 in tall, it was probably used above a bed in a convent or rectory. |
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beadsong@hotmail.com please identify your email so it will not be deleted by mistake + DO YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING IMAGE TO SHARE? IMAGE MUST BE CLEAR. Send an image of the whole piece with smaller close-ups of interesting parts of the rosary. Please include any history you may have about the item, family passed it down, may be from Ireland, Spain, etc. We will also need the bead size, overall length, etc. of the item. |
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THE TRADITION / THE NEW ADAM |
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