** A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this artwork will be donated to the Anthony Quinn Foundation, whose mission is to advocate for the important role arts education plays in personal development and in the overall improvement of social, economic and cultural systems. Learn more at aqfoundation.org **

Latin America, Mexico, ca. 19th century CE. A hand-carved and hand-painted wooden cross set within a separately carved tiered pedestal base. Atop the cross is a white banner that reads "INRI," meaning, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews," inspired by the sign nailed above Christ's head as He was dying. At the center of the cross is the visage of Christ on Veronica's Veil wearing the Crown of Thorns. In addition, numerous instruments of the Passion (Arma Christi) - including a ladder, spears, shackles, and pikes, representing His placement on the cross, tools and weapons of the Roman guards, and a rooster perched atop a column - adorn the royal blue arms of the cross. Complementing the cross is a tiered base that is painted ruby red and royal blue; both the cross and the base are finished with golden borders. A wonderful piece that demonstrates Anthony Quinn's admiration for Mexico's religious folk art tradition. Size: 5.25" L x 8.3" W x 15.25" H (13.3 cm x 21.1 cm x 38.7 cm)

The cock atop a column is perhaps the most interesting of the instruments of the Passion. It is a very ancient Christian symbol, representing the cock whose crow signaled that St. Peter had thrice denied knowing Christ. Although on its face this seems to be a condemnation of Peter's actions, it is meant to represent that a person could redeem himself even after committing one of the worst sins imaginable. Early artists, attempting to recreate the Biblical scene, seem to have struggled with where to place the cock - in a tree? on the ground? in an architectural feature? Slowly, through Roman and later Italian funerary sarcophagi carving, artists established a visual shorthand for the scene where the cock stands atop a Roman-style column. The folk artist who created this cross drew on that nearly-two-millennia-old tradition to paint this scene.

Anthony Quinn's admiration for folk art - art of the people - may be traced to his childhood. "Throughout his life, Anthony Quinn was steeped in creativity. When he was only two years old, Anthony’s mother used to craft hand-sewn handkerchiefs by drawing pictures on linen, embroidering and selling them to help feed the family. His father too displayed artistic talent. He played Mexican folk songs on the guitar and sang when the family would gather after dinner every night. Their first family home was a mere shack in the poor Mexican neighborhood of East Los Angeles, but his mother always kept the dirt floors swept clean and his father painted some of the windows with a beautiful landscape to hide the view of the neighborhood trash bins just outside. From these experiences, and many others, Anthony learned that regardless of how poor he was his life could be made richer through the arts." (Anthony Quinn Foundation - "The Legacy of Anthony Quinn")

Exhibited in the "Anthony Quinn: A Lifetime of Creating and Collecting Art" traveling exhibition from 2006 to 2009.

Provenance: ex-private collection of actor Anthony Quinn and his wife Katherine, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA acquired prior to 2000; exhibited in the "Anthony Quinn: A Lifetime of Creating and Collecting Art" traveling exhibition from 2006 to 2009

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#169237

Wear commensurate with age with abrasions and minor losses to peripheries as well as a few stable age cracks. Painting shows some wear/loss as well, but most of the iconography is still vivid. The cross and the tiered pedestal base were carved separately. The cross fits within a central opening of the base, however, it is a tad loose and can be moved forward and backward. This could easily be stabilized with adhesive if desired. Then again, the cross can still stand upright without adhesive.