"Haute Epoque XVI-xviith Cty Very Detailed Bronze Plaque Ecce Homo"
HAUTE EPOQUE Spain, Late16th or early 17th century
Superb oval bronze plaque with ligth brown patina depicting Christ in chains, called in the iconographic tradition ECCE HOMO
This subject of a Spanish plaque was reproduced by numerous successive castings, in bronze, tin, or sometimes cast iron, during 17th century, testifying to the success of these objects of piety intended for the personal worship of their owner.
Of more common rectangular format or oval as here with its original suspension ring, what is the most surprising here compared to the many other reference examples found in documentation (please check last photo) is above all the extreme quality of details and the exceptional finesse of chiseling of our example: expression, musculature, crown of thorns, ...
These plaques are perhaps inspired by an engraving by Wieriw "Ecce Homo" around 1580.
"The name plaques refers to small bronze bas-reliefs which seem to us to have had the purpose of preserving the memory of the works of the best goldsmiths of Italian Renaissance: kisses of peace, cope buttons, clothing clasps, signs, ornaments that were attached to armor and belts or that were nailed to the harnesses of horses for ceremonial days. Finally, bas-reliefs with which one adorned caskets, salt cellars and inkwells; all things that one executed in silver and gold, embossed and chased with the greatest delicacy"
Eccehomo — Wikipedia
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecce_homo
Ecce homo is a Latin expression meaning "here is the man".
This is the expression attributed to Pontius Pilate, Roman governor of Judea, in the Vulgate translation of the Gospel according to John (19:5) when in Jerusalem, he presents to the crowd Jesus of Nazareth coming out of the praetorium, after the flagellation. An Ecce Homo on the artistic level is a representation of Jesus of Nazareth standing, crowned with thorns and wearing a cape, or a purple robe, both hands tied by a rope, holding a reed scepter, or also a scroll in his hand, bloody, pale, in the state in which he was presented to the Jews by Pilate saying to them "Ecce Homo!"
Dimensions:
13cm height (with ring) and 8cm width
Bibliography:
*Weber, Ingrid: "Deutsche, Niederländische undFranzösische Renaissance-plaketten", Munich, 1975, p. 409, No. 1039 and plate 295;
Reference copies preserved in institutions:
Metropolitan Museum inventory No. 2012.545.3
We can also amusingly mention a copy of the ECCE HOMO bronze medal preserved as "important cultural property of the office of the Magastrate of Nagasaki in Japan in 16th or 17th century", testifying to the wide diffusion of these pious images.
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