DOUG’S Q-C COLLECTIBLES: This is a really old rugged cross

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By Doug Smith | Tuesday, April 29, 2008 8:34 AM CDT | () comments

(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO) Could this cross, representing the hope of all Christians, have been made from articles of war?

Hi Doug: This cross is one my mother brought back from Belgium around 1932. She said she bought it from the soldiers that made things after the war from the spent shells. I can’t verify that, but it’s all I can remember. The cross is quite heavy (4½ pounds) and is 21 inches long and 15½ inches wide. Can you tell me anything about it?

Thank you,

Irene

Dear Irene: Yes, I think I can help. A cross is a Christian symbol reminding us of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I’m really surprised you didn’t know that. OK, jokes aside, let’s examine yours a little closer.

The main structure of your crucifix was sand-cast, but the corpus (figural body of Christ) was manufactured separately and combined afterward using brass rivets. As brass alloys vary with each mixture, the matching parts suggest they shared a common “batch” metal composition and were made and constructed in one place by one manufacturer.

The parts and construction technique place it somewhere between 1820 and the 1920s. The loop on the back is also typical of a cross from that period, which would have been hung in a shrine, office, sacristy or near a pulpit. The design is typical of French Catholic, but since Belgium has two languages (one being French), it may well be the place of origin.

There are many different basic designs for crosses, the history and numerous variations of which are a fascinating study all their own. Yours contains characteristics of several types. The main shape is called a Bottonnee, or Budded Cross. The trefoil end caps are intended to call to mind the Holy Trinity, and at the ends of the trefoil are an iris or lily called a fleur-de-lis.

The fleur-de-lis is a symbol used to represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. Around the center of the cross is a circle forming yet another type of cross known as an Ionic cross, surmounted with more fleur-de-lis. Finally, the Latin proclamation (INRI) “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaerum” is positioned above the corpus and translates in English to “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.”

Furthermore, the engraved pattern background of grapes and leaves designed in your cross symbolize the wine shared at the Last Supper: the blood of the Son of God shed for the sins of mankind.

All of these characteristics, as well as other subtleties in your cross, are typical of articles from Belgium in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Whatever the variation and characteristics may be, the holy cross is the most recognized representation of Christianity. It symbolizes not only Christ’s crucifixion and his manifestation in human form, but also his Godly resurrection and ascension into heaven. It’s a symbol of the New Testament and God’s promise to all of us of victory over death and eternal life. The cross represents an intersection of the heavenly and the earthly. The symbolism found in the cross combines the “Order of the Mass” in its design. Keep in mind that most people worshiping at the time this crucifix was made could not read. Makers of church accoutrements used symbols in their work to illustrate Christian theology.

Therefore, I have no reason to doubt what your mother has passed onto you. This likely did come from Belgium after the Great War. However, it certainly was not a product of old shell casings, but was, better yet, a wonderfully manufactured piece of much greater sophistication. I would suggest it most likely is a remnant from a church, possibly one destroyed by weapons of war.

The cross is quite beautiful, and it is unusual to find one of this size today. The value of a rare piece like this is always a personal matter that the perspective buyer(s) determine based on need, want and wealth.

I would place a conservative estimate of $500 on it and would not be surprised to see it sell for $1,000 or more. The greatest interest might be generated in France or French-populated areas such as Belgium, Louisiana, the Canadian province of Quebec, North Africa and the South Sea French colonies.

Sometimes people like to see their artifacts such as this used once again in the church. If this thought appeals to you, let me suggest that you might donate it to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., in memory of the men and women who served in our armed forces and gave their lives.

Contact Doug Smith with your collectibles questions by e-mailing him at DougsQCCollecting@hotmail.com or send a note to the Quad-City Times, Attn.: features editor, P.O. Box 3828, Davenport, IA, 52808. Please send a photograph, if available, either by e-mail or letter.