Christ figure

High-relief depictions of Christ featured at the center of many cast-metal and wooden crucifixes. The holes at the wrists and feet of this figure thus allude not only to Christ’s sacrifice but also served to attach him to a cross support. While early Kongo renderings of Christ often closely paralleled Portuguese and Italian prototypes with more naturalistic representations and carefully modelled musculature, later examples approached the subject more thematically. As seen here, Christ’s emaciated form is emphasized through roughly incised ribs. His hollowed eyes, peering outward from his tilted head, suggest an otherworldly gaze, underscoring the symbolism of both Christ and crucifix as signs of intercession and renewal.