A Fon/Voodoo fetish in shape of a cross, Benin/Togo, with different attachments like iron, wood fabric, and strings, various colours from blueish to white kaolin pigments, the figure of the Crucified, framed by three additional figures at the ends of the cross, incl. metal stand. In parts of West and Central Africa, in particcertain ritual sculptures present a striking fusion of traditional spiritual practice and Christian imagery, reflecting a long history of cultural negotiation and syncretism. Among these, fetish objects depicting the crucifixion of Jesus are particularly fascinating, embodying a tension between imported religion and indigenous cosmology. These sculptures, often carved from wood and sometimes enhanced with metal, beads, or cowrie shells, do not simply replicate European crucifixes; they reinterpret the figure of Christ through the lens of local aesthetics and symbolic language. The proportions, facial features, and overall form often echo the abstraction and stylization of traditional masks, and the cross itself may carry geometric motifs, protective signs, or elements associated with ancestral power. Functionally, these sculptures inhabit a dual role. They are devotional, acknowledging Christian theology, but they are also active ritual objects, invoked for protection, healing, or guidance. In this context, Christ is both a spiritual intercessor and a locus of potent force, integrated seamlessly into preexisting notions of sacred power. The visual language of these pieces emphasizes presence and efficacy over historical realism, creating an image of Christ that is as much a spiritual agent as a religious symbol. From an art-historical and market perspective, these works have attracted attention for their originality and complexity. Collectors prize them not only for their formal beauty but for the way they document a lived process of cultural adaptation, where imported motifs are not simply adopted but transformed into something distinctly local. Museums across Europe and North America have recognized their significance, acquiring examples that demonstrate how African artisans have consistently negotiated external influences while preserving and reasserting the authority of their own aesthetic and spiritual traditions. In these fetish sculptures, the crucifixion becomes more than an emblem of Christianity; it is a site of dialogue, negotiation, and artistic innovation, a testament to the creative resilience of African religious art. CAB34474