Featured Wood carving of God the Father or Christ holding globe

Hi there!
Picked this up a few weeks ago.
Wondering what you make of it.
19th Century? Mostly think this due to the hair and moustache styling.

Very nice wood, pretty large

 

Some saint or other, probably. Just don't ask me which one. This Protestant brain doesn't know them on sight, except the obvious ones. No Christian or Jewish carver would even attempt to make an image of G-d, if for no other reason than making carved images of same is forbidden.

 

Can anyone say what the symbolic gesture of his right hand means? I have a sense it's a form of benediction, but I'm not well versed in Christian arcana...Thanks!

 

Looks rather like the Salvator Mundi.

 

He's holding an orb, not a globe. And that is a sign of benediction.

Debora

 

How would you show a globe or orb in wood?

 

If Christ, he is aged...an' wears Da Vinci's facial hair.

 

Both globes and orbs are sphere-shaped. They have different symbolic meanings, however.

Debora

 

Except the beard, which makes me think it's Russian Orthodox.

 

Right, I thought this too

 

I have a lot of admiration for wood carvers, I tried it myself as a change from my usual clay. You just can’t let your mind wander, there’s often no way of correcting an errant cut.

 

It is either God the Father or Karl Marx. I suspect the former because I don't think Karl Marx was ever depicted with an orb.

Which didn't stop Christian artists from depicting God, as seen in this detail of my panel of the crucifixion, Antwerp School ca 1500:



And on the late Gothic Madonna Altar of Niederrottweil, Germany, a panel of the mystical crowning of Mary by Jesus and God (blurry photo):

 

Crowning Mary... I'd make ((confused look)), but Mary would do that first if she were there.