French or German, 12th century

Millon, Paris, 23 September 2022, lot 159

This expressive Romanesque Corpus Christi, with slim physique and a perizonium that is knotted at the centre and decorated with engraved stripes, relates to a group of mid-12^th century corpora originating from Southern Germany illustrated by Peter Bloch (op. cit., nos. ID4, ID5, ID6). In addition, the linear design of the chest and animated face with eyes surrounded by short vertical lines compare to an example from Lower Saxony in the Skulpturengalerie in Berlin (Bloch, op. cit., no. XD3).

Perhaps the closest parallel, however, that could suggest a French origin is found in a corpus in Epinal (ibid., no. XB1). The shape of the bent arms, the relatively large crowned head, and design of the perizonium strongly resonate with the overall style of the present corpus.

RELATED LITERATURE

P. Bloch, Bronzegeräte des Mittelalters. Vol. 5. Romanische Bronzekruzifixe, Berlin, 1992, p. 317, nos. ID4, ID5, ID6, XD3, XB1