ANTONIO RUSSO

Solid silver crucifix and wood, Naples, 1824-1832

Total height x width x depth: 70 x 25 x 16 cm. Total gross weight: 2194 g.

solid silver Corpus Christi, mounted on an ebonized wooden cross with silver terminals, cartouche, and symbols of the Passion.

The figure of the Savior is anatomically detailed: the arms are outstretched, with emphasized musculature and visible veins; the hands are slightly open with nails inserted at the center of each palm. The head, adorned with a crown of thorns, is tilted toward the right shoulder, facing downward; the soft hair falls naturally over the shoulders. The legs are parallel and slightly bent forward, with the feet overlapped and nailed together. The intimate parts are covered with a loincloth. The terminals are richly decorated with shell motifs and scrolls.

At the top of the cross, separated from the figure of Christ, is a cartouche bearing the inscription I.N.R.I. (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”).

At the bottom of the cross is a Vanitas symbolized by the presence of a skull — a typical iconographic element in depictions of the Crucifixion.

Mount Golgotha, the site of executions, derives its name from the word meaning “skull,” likely referencing both its barren, rounded shape and its function. According to the Legenda Aurea, Golgotha was believed to be the burial site of Adam, and the skull at the base of the cross is a direct reference to this tradition.

The cross is mounted on an ebonized wooden base decorated with two silver musical putti at the sides, each holding a horn and depicted as if flying while resting on the base. At the center, there is a stylized silver putto in front of the Lamb of the Apocalypse (Agnus Dei), a representation of Christ as the sacrificial and victorious lamb.

The Lamb is shown seated on a book, the Book of Revelation, which only He is worthy to open, and holds a staff with a banner, symbol of the Resurrection.

The silver elements (Corpus, terminals, putti) are hallmarked with the marks in use by thr goldsmiths' guild of Naples for a silver fineness at 833/1000 or 10 ounces, 1824-1832. Master silversmith Antonio Russo.