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<p>[QUOTE="Thomas Johnson, post: 687992, member: 11096"]Hi, I was wondering if anyone can confirm that this is a Crucifix from the Kongo? quite a specialist area, hoping someone might know. It appears to be ivory, very old and worn. </p><p><br /></p><p>It might be from the Kongo, due to the naive workmanship, and the material it looks to be made from. Also the seemingly non stigmatisation of the christ character..?</p><p><b>Another reason is I found this:</b></p><p>the spiral as being the basic symbol of the system of signs used in the Kongo religion, the Bukongo, to convey spiritual teachings as well as to help the initiates recall what they have been taught. This symbol is shown to be the summary of the teachings of the Bukongo; it explains the celestial origin and destiny of man, the divine completeness of being (the Verb) and universal salvation. The spiral simplified at the most results in the Kongo cosmogram; thus, this article shows that beyond its current cosmological interpretation, the Kongo cross is the synthesis of an African theology. The author also exposes the existence of the spiral in other African cultures in connection with the origin of mankind.</p><p><br /></p><p>Also I found this which seems to fit: (a description of another Kongo crusafix, not pictured - from the MET museum)</p><p>The Kongo cross, like earlier related works, is based on European prototypes. Earlier Kongo renditions of this subject depict Christ with naturalistically modeled arms, legs, and torso that emphasize musculature. Additionally, his face is rendered in the throes of an arduous death. However, later examples of this style suggest a more profound assimilation of the cross with local idioms.</p><p><br /></p><p>facial features have been reduced to stylized abbreviations that are less detailed in their descriptiveness. The wrap and ribs are rendered as simplified to geometric linear abstractions. Christ is depicted with large protruding oval eyes, a common motif in Kongo art representing the supernatural vision of a human who is possessed by an ancestor or deity.</p><p><br /></p><p>Christ is certainly depicted in the throws of a horrific death, much like Munch's "the scream"scream" - It is certainly very old due to the wear, the "weathering" of the engravings must have taken a long time to wear down...</p><p><br /></p><p>I say it might be from the 16th -17th century because it is more similar to the european model that the earlier depictions, based on a similar looking figure with a similar facial expression and body shape, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Thomas Johnson, post: 687992, member: 11096"]Hi, I was wondering if anyone can confirm that this is a Crucifix from the Kongo? quite a specialist area, hoping someone might know. It appears to be ivory, very old and worn. It might be from the Kongo, due to the naive workmanship, and the material it looks to be made from. Also the seemingly non stigmatisation of the christ character..? [B]Another reason is I found this:[/B] the spiral as being the basic symbol of the system of signs used in the Kongo religion, the Bukongo, to convey spiritual teachings as well as to help the initiates recall what they have been taught. This symbol is shown to be the summary of the teachings of the Bukongo; it explains the celestial origin and destiny of man, the divine completeness of being (the Verb) and universal salvation. The spiral simplified at the most results in the Kongo cosmogram; thus, this article shows that beyond its current cosmological interpretation, the Kongo cross is the synthesis of an African theology. The author also exposes the existence of the spiral in other African cultures in connection with the origin of mankind. Also I found this which seems to fit: (a description of another Kongo crusafix, not pictured - from the MET museum) The Kongo cross, like earlier related works, is based on European prototypes. Earlier Kongo renditions of this subject depict Christ with naturalistically modeled arms, legs, and torso that emphasize musculature. Additionally, his face is rendered in the throes of an arduous death. However, later examples of this style suggest a more profound assimilation of the cross with local idioms. facial features have been reduced to stylized abbreviations that are less detailed in their descriptiveness. The wrap and ribs are rendered as simplified to geometric linear abstractions. Christ is depicted with large protruding oval eyes, a common motif in Kongo art representing the supernatural vision of a human who is possessed by an ancestor or deity. Christ is certainly depicted in the throws of a horrific death, much like Munch's "the scream"scream" - It is certainly very old due to the wear, the "weathering" of the engravings must have taken a long time to wear down... I say it might be from the 16th -17th century because it is more similar to the european model that the earlier depictions, based on a similar looking figure with a similar facial expression and body shape, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art[/QUOTE]
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