Processional cross. Spain, ca. 1600

Processional cross; Spain, c. 1600.
Brass and silvered copper. Wooden core.
The Christ and the plaque are from a later period.
Measurements: 70 x 44 x 16 cm.
During the Romanesque and Gothic periods, sculpture was most frequently conceived as part of the architecture. However, there were also examples of free-standing sculpture, such as processional crosses, which presided over religious rites. This type of object was widely used from the 4th century onwards. Before the 8th century, crosses were hung from altars, but this arrangement changed and they were placed on a lower point or spike of the altar. Processional crosses are the most important pieces of church furnishings, usually numbering one per parish. They are in the shape of a Latin cross, with a single crossbeam and a longer lower arm. Designed to be carried on the end of a pole or staff, they lead the way in the processional procession.