South Netherlandish Carved Ivory of the Crucified Christ

Period: 1600-1700

Origin: Netherlands

Medium: Ivory

Literature: Amsterdam was one of the principal European ports for the importation of African ivory from the 16th century onwards. Many devotional and religious ivories were produced in the Netherlands during the 17th and 18th centuries, but their authorship was unrecorded as the craftsmen believed they were in the service of God.
By the mid 17th century both the iconographies of ‘Christo Vivo’ and ‘Christo Morto’ existed concurrently. In this example Christ is shown alive His mouth open in His call to God, combining the suffering and human frailty of Christ with His ultimate triumph over death and sin.