Antique Carved Bone Corpus Christi Figure, Polychrome Santos Crucifix Figure, 18th-19th Century

A corpus of Christ hand-carved in bone and finished in polychrome, the flesh tones and painted wounds softened by age and handling, the arms long since lost. Bone was the carver's substitute for ivory throughout Spanish, Italian and colonial workshops, worked for household crucifixes, santos and pilgrim souvenirs from the 18th century onward, and it takes paint and detail beautifully. The pin hole at the foot remains where the figure was once fixed to its cross. In its damaged state it has the haunting presence collectors of devotional antiques prize. Carved bone, not ivory. Shown front and back.