Early crucifix figurine

[DownNDirty]

Yesterday I found this figurine of Christ on the cross (without the cross). It's 4.3 inches tall and is made of either brass or bronze. I was detecting an area where there were multiple buildings on a main road, possibly at a primary road crossing; the figurine was in the iron patch of one of the buildings. All of the relics I have found there date to the 1700s or 1800s including flat buttons with and without back marks so I think it's safe to say that it was made sometime in those two centuries.





It obviously attached to a cross, based on the rectangular hole in the back and small hole in the one remaining hand. The bottom part was bent forward, probably by a plow. The platform that the feet are attached to would have originally been facing the other way and would have been parallel to the cross. I'm not sure why the cross wasn't incorporated with the figurine, i.e. why it was detachable. Maybe the Christ figure was only displayed during Lent?

I know basically what it is, but I need help trying to figure out:

1. Is there any way to get a closer date range than 200 years? At least the century that it was made in

2. Is it more likely that it was privately owned, or would something like this have been in a church?

As always I appreciate any input given. Thanks

 

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[DownNDirty]

Bump

 

[tamrock]

I'm thinking yours is from the first part of the 20th century. Jesus would have been attached to a cross at one time and most likely hung on the wall of someone's home. This is a piece I picked up in a thrift. I took Jesus down off the cross to photograph the tiny little glass micro mosaic tiles underneath Jesus. I was hoping he was made of cast silver, but he was only a silver plated casted brass. Yours looks as if it's made of cast spelter or some alloy of soft metal?

 

[Squirrel322]

Rather than a point of attachment, I think the void on the back would have been to reduce weight or required metal to cast. Its not unusual that the figure wasn't incorporated into the cross. Its possible the cross was a different material (like wood) or it could be as simple as casting the figure and the cross separately was the best way to construct the crucifix.

 

[CRUSADER]

I'm thinking yours is from the first part of the 20th century. Jesus would have been attached to a cross at one time and most likely hung on the wall of someone's home. This is a piece I picked up in a thrift. I took Jesus down off the cross to photograph the tiny little glass micro mosaic tiles underneath Jesus. I was hoping he was made of cast silver, but he was only a silver plated casted brass. Yours looks as if it's made of cast spelter or some alloy of soft metal?

I mostly agree, but I think its copper-alloy. I've seen lots of bronze & copper-alloy get like this by plough damage, or some other type of damage.

 

[DownNDirty]

Thanks guys-this is helpful. I was thinking along the lines of a wooden cross that was probably hung on a wall. It's an interesting find regardless of age, something you don't see every day.

 

[CRUSADER]

Thanks guys-this is helpful. I was thinking along the lines of a wooden cross that was probably hung on a wall. It's an interesting find regardless of age, something you don't see every day.

Nope, I've only had 1 small Medieval version.

 

[tamrock]

I mostly agree, but I think its copper-alloy. I've seen lots of bronze & copper-alloy get like this by plough damage, or some other type of damage.

curse those plough's.