Figure - Volto di Cristo (2) - Boxwood

Beautiful pair of faces of Christ.

The first is a sculpture in precious boxwood wood (Buxus sempervirens); the face with the half-figure, finely hand-carved, was carved from a piece of trunk left evident on the back of the statuette, intentionally retaining the original bark of the tree.

It is a very hard wood, suitable for high-quality sculptures, coming from Val Gardena, measures 13 cm in height, with a maximum diameter of 6 cm. It weighs about 250 g.

Under a inscription that translated says: "I greet you, o holy cross" this is the incipit of a famous Christian popular hymn and prayer dedicated to the Holy Cross. I believe it was added later by the owner, at devotional level.

The second is an icon depicting Christ Pantocrator – Romanian Orthodox icon hand-painted. Christ Pantocrator (Χριστός Παντοκράτωρ), the Almighty Christ, in the Byzantine and Orthodox iconographic tradition. The frontal face, the long hair, the beard, the cruciform halo and the Greek inscriptions IC XC recall the models of Orthodox sacred painting.

The composition might reproduce a detail from a larger image.

The piece is accompanied by a certificate declaring it handmade in Romania, with traditional Byzantine techniques, tempera and gold on canvas and wood. It is a contemporary production, dating to the 1980s. A small sacred art object that preserves the spiritual and symbolic language of the Eastern iconographic tradition.

Dimensions: 13.5 × 18 × 3.3 cm Weight: 350 grams from Romania

The icon was purchased in 1980 at the Bačkovo Monastery, in Bulgaria, as a copy of an original XVIII-century model.

The Bačkovo Monastery, founded in the 11th century, houses an important collection of icons and testimonies to the Orthodox artistic tradition.

Condition

The sculpture has a natural finish and surface variations that enhance the volumes and the carving workmanship.

The icon is in very good condition, like new, with no defects or cracks. The silvered background surface and the multicolored decoration appear visually intact in the photographs.

Final note

A lot of sacred art that pairs two distinctive languages of European devotion: Italian traditional wooden sculpture of Catholic Christian tradition, and the Orthodox icon. The common subject of the face of Christ, the difference in techniques, and the declared Bulgarian origin of the icon and the Italian sculpture, make the set interesting for collectors of religious art, Eastern icons, and devotional sculpture of the twentieth century.

The photos are part of the description.

Very quickly and well packed with styrofoam and/or bubble wrap, and shipped with tracking and insurance with the best shipping agencies.
The shipping cost includes tracking of the shipment, packing material cost, and insurance of the artwork.
Due to customs duties and procedures, we do not ship to the USA.
Corsica and other non-Italian European islands to be agreed.