Rosary Workshop: Rosary - Museum Crucifixes

ROSARIES *Handmade*	CHAPLETS *Handmade*	JEWELRY *Religious*	SUPPLIES *Rosarymaking*	DIRECTORY *Site Links*
WHAT'S NEW Always Changing	SALE ITEMS *Very Limited*	MUSEUM *Antique Rosaries*	HISTORY *of the Rosary*	EMAIL US *877.695.3561*

rosary workshop - museum - Europe - Crucifixes
CRUCIFIXES EUROPE
SKULL AND CROSSBONES - VICTORY OVER DEATH
The hill where Christ was crucified was the hill of Golgatha (The Place of the Skull) and symbolizes 'Victory over Death'. 2000 years ago it was outside the city and the place where Roman soldiers executed criminals. Crucifixes of this kind were traditionally worn buy religious (Priests, Brothers, Sisters) attached to full rosaries (15 decades) and worn around the waist. After Vatican II (1960s), they began to disappear.

THIS CRUCIFIX LOOKS MORE SPANISH THAN GERMAN.

BUT CARRIES THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES AT ITS BASE

TRAVELING VICTORIAN SHRINE
VARIATIONS - EUROPEAN
TRADITIONAL - GERMANY - SYMBOLS

We receive many requests for information on crosses and crucifixes that people find in antique stores or family collections. The crucifixes below are open for discussion if anyone has information on the style or comments on their use. We have supplied the little we know for starters. Please send us images of crucifixes that will add information for students and those who want to learn more.

ALUMINUM CROSSES WITH INSERTS
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 ~

A BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN TRAVEL SHRINE, PARTIALLY CLOSED

(Left) AND FULLY OPEN (Right).

**TRAVELING SHRINE**
A beautiful leather box lined in velvet contains a well detailed crucifix of black ebony wood inserts, front and back. Purchased in Ireland (Roscommon) dated by the antique dealer as 'Victorian' (1880s).
**6.75 x 3.25 in**

obverse	closeup of corpus and halo	reverse

~ VARIATIONS - GERMANY ~

**THREE CRUCIFIXES WITH VARIATIONS**
LEFT: *'trifoil' or 'budding' cross is very European, with inserts of ebony wood.* MIDDLE: *A good example of the crucifixes probably worn by religious on a rosary. 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)*

+
COFFIN CRUCIFIX
The middle crucifix (above) is called a 'coffin crucifix'. It was placed on the inside lid of the coffin,
and later given to relatives. Andy (Canada) - Thanks for the information, Andy - RW
+
THIS CRUCIFIX LOOKS MORE SPANISH THAN GERMAN.

BUT CARRIES THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES AT THE BASE
+
THE HALO BEHIND THE HEAD OF CHRIST

IS DIFFERENT ON EACH CROSS (NOTE FILE MARKS SIDES OF
METAL CROSS NOTING HAND MADE)

~ TRADITIONAL - GERMANY ~

**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.**

obverse	reverse

**GERMAN CRUCIFIX - II**
***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.**

obverse	reverse

+
MADE BY HAND
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)

~ INFORMATION on SYMBOLS ~

THE PIERCED HEART

VARIATIONS OF DESIGN ON THIS SYMBOL (REVERSE SIDE OF CRUCIFIX)

YET STAY CLOSE WITH THE PIERCED HEART AND FLAMES OF PASSION
FRAMED WITH THE CROWN OF THORNS.

TITLE BOARD

THE TITLE THAT WAS HAMMERED TO THE CRUCIFIX ABOVE THE

HEAD OF JESUS WAS WRITTEN IN HEBREW, LATIN AND GREEK.
'JESUS THE NAZOREAN, THE KING OF THE JEWS'
(for more information on title board)

JOHN 19:22
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."

SKULL AND CROSSBONES
+
THE SKULL ANDCROSS BONES SYMBOLIZE SEVERAL THINGS.

IN CHRISTIAN ART, ESPECIALLY ON CRUCIFIXES
'VICTORY OVER DEATH'
+
TRADITION OF ADAM
The skull and crossbones 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 skull of Adam below, redeeming mankind in the midst of the earthquake.
+
Since early times, Jesus is often 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. (also see St Pauls words about the New Adam below:

1 CORINTHIANS 15:45
45 So, too, it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being," the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
+
JOHN 5:9-21
How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. 10 Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
+
12 Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned 13 for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. 14 But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.
+
15 But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person's transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many. 16 And the gift is not like the result of the one person's sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. 17 For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.
+
18 In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. 19 For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous. 20 The law entered in so that transgression might increase but, where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

PRAYER	STUDY	SERVICE	COMMUNITY	SUPPLIES	LINKS
HOME	SALE	NEW	CART	ABOUT US	EMAIL