17th century Italian cross adorned with silver leaf shells, silver plated kyanite, galeana, and ammonites on a scallop Chesapecten shell cluster formation base. The chesapecten shells also adorn the cross to imitate the top part of the halo. The crucifix originally came from a church in Tuscany.
The chesapecten shell cluster are found from the banks of the James River and are usually 3 to 8 million years old. Fossilized marine life makes up parts of the shell cluster's matrix. They go through a meticulous cleaning and sealing process in order to protect and solidify the formations.
The Italian crucifix is persevered and transformed into a new work of old and new with the precious minerals - interpreting the past to create a piece entirely original, evolving in its own right.
This piece recently exhibited in the Museo de' Medici in Florence, Italy as part of The Crucifix Collection.
The Museo de' Medici is located in the monumental Rotonda Brunelleschi which was designed in 1432 and built by Filippo Brunelleschi, a famous Italian architect who also built the Florence dome and who is also considered a founding father of Renaissance architecture. The Museo de’ Medici is devoted to preserving the history of the Medici family and exhibiting precious collections of works of art, historical relics, original documents, faithful reconstructions and multimedia installations.
Size: 34.5" high x 22" wide x 8" deep
