Crucifix

The cross takes the form of a "half-wooden" assembly of two long rectangular bone elements, 3 mm thick and 10 mm long. The ends of these two elements are adorned with a well-defined ocelli, and their lengths are highlighted by a fine groove, which on the patibulum is interrupted at the joint. The lower part of the stipe ends in an 11 mm-long tenon. Five perforations run through the cross; three of these corresponded to the three nails of Christ, while the last two can be seen at the top and bottom of the stipe, close to the ocelli. Carved from carefully polished ivory or bone, the 74mm-high Christ has been glued to the cross since the object was restored. Originally, it was probably attached to the cross by small copper metal elements, as green traces would suggest, at the level of these now vanished attachments. A 10 mm long wire with a loop at the end was found with the crucifix. The Crucified One, sculpted in three joined parts, is crowned with a twisted crown, but without any representation of the thorns. His head is tilted to the dexter. His eyes are closed and his face ends in a pointed beard. On the right side of the torso, there is a reddish hue that should not necessarily be interpreted as traces of a lost polychromy. Nudity is veiled by a short perizonium, which covers the lower abdomen as far as the inguinal fold; it is worn obliquely and tied over the right hip. The lower limbs are almost parallel, the two internally-rotated feet overlapping, the right over the left, to be fixed on the stipe, which has no suppedaneum. The upper limbs, slightly flexed, are joined to the trunk at the top of the humerus. The fingers have disappeared, but the position of the adducted thumbs can still be made out. The quality of the sculpture is uneven. While the face has been treated rather roughly, the modelling of the trunk and legs, as well as the perizonium, has benefited from more careful attention. Stuck into a support that has not been preserved, this crucifix seems to have been more a devotional than a liturgical object. Its two perforations, of no apparent use, suggest that it may have been lined with a plate fashioned from another material; however, the absence of perforations in the patibulum's arms is surprising.