Museum - Baptismal Cradle, Votive Cradle - Folk Art - Religious - Carved Wood

Mid-19th century France - Aosta Valley? Carved wooden rocking cradle, made around the mid-19th century, probably in a mountainous region on the Franco-Italian border—possibly the Aosta Valley. Entirely hand-decorated, this object of popular piety was not designed for the church, but rather for the home. Given at a baptism, probably by a godfather, a relative, or a village craftsman, this cradle had a protective and symbolic function, not a utilitarian one. It embodied a vow of blessing, a gesture of love carved in wood. The decoration, deeply naive and expressive, combines sacred codes and magical motifs: – Radiant solar wheels (strength and vitality), – Six-pointed stars, – Trees of life, whose engraved branches seem to spring from the wood, – Cross, IHS monogram and Christian heart, – Wolf tooth friezes, an apotropaic motif par excellence. The composition is mastered, balanced, while retaining the freedom of popular gestures. This deeply rooted language of wood expresses without detour the desire to protect the child in this liminal moment of existence that is baptism. More than an object, it is a talisman. The rocking pads are full, curved. The vertical uprights, in the form of angular columns ending in turned knobs, reinforce the solemnity of the form. Dimensions: Length: 68 cm – Width: 32 cm – Height: 25 cm Condition: Very good general condition. Dry and healthy wood, old patina, not re-varnished. Some signs of age and slight losses without fragility. Very good stability of the whole. Rare and moving object, which speaks with a rustic sweetness of transmission, faith, and protection. Delivery exclusively via DHL, with secure packaging, tracking and insurance.