The crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha ( es, crucifijo de don Fernando y doña Sancha) is an

ivory carving Ivory carving is the carving of ivory, that is to say animal tooth or tusk, generally by using sharp cutting tools, either mechanically or manually. Objects carved in ivory are often called "ivories". Humans have ornamentally carved ivory since ...

from ''circa'' 1063, today in the

National Archaeological Museum of Spain The National Archaeological Museum ( es, Museo Arqueológico Nacional; MAN) is a museum in Madrid, Spain. It is located on Calle de Serrano beside the Plaza de Colón, sharing its building with the National Library of Spain. History The mus ...

, in Madrid. It was part of an offering by King Ferdinand I of León and Queen Sancha to furnish the basilica of San Isidoro de León. It is the earliest known crucifix from Spain depicting the

body of Christ In Christian theology, the term Body of Christ () has two main but separate meanings: it may refer to Jesus' words over the bread at the celebration of the Jewish feast of Passover that "This is my body" in (see Last Supper), or it may refer to ...

. Although earlier Spanish crucifixes of gold, ivory and wood are known, they are all without images. The official inventory of the royal gift describes the crucifix as "a cross of ivory with the image of our crucified Redeemer".Gómez-Moreno (1947), 162. It measures 52 cm high, 34.5 cm wide, and 1 cm thick, with the width of the cross beams being 7 cm. The image of Christ is 305 mm tall. The figure of Christ is shown with its heading reclining to the left, its large eyes wide open and encrusted with

jet Jet, Jets, or The Jet(s) may refer to: Aerospace * Jet aircraft, an aircraft propelled by jet engines ** Jet airliner ** Jet engine ** Jet fuel * Jet Airways, an Indian airline * Wind Jet (ICAO: JET), an Italian airline * Journey to Enceladus a ...

, and sporting a beard and moustache. (Jet eyes were common at the time in ivory sculptures of the region.) Each foot is shown nailed individually to the cross. The fingers of Christ's right hand are missing. His ''perizonium'' (loin cloth) covers him to the knees and is tied at his waist. The legs and torso are perfectly vertical. There is a small space behind the body so the piece could serve as a

reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including ''wikt:phylactery, phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it i ...

, as was typical. On the obverse of the cross are intertwined images of plants and animals, and of humans either ascending to paradise or descending to hell. Above the image of Christ is the inscription: which translates " Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews", the citation placed on the cross according to the Four Gospels. Above the inscription on the ivory is a representation of the resurrected Christ carrying a cross. At the base of the cross, below the crucified figure, is a figure of

Adam Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...

, and below that the inscription: indicating the commissioners of the work, King Ferdinand and Queen Sancha. The reverse of the cross bears plant figures, in the centre the Agnus Dei, and at the four extremities of the arms the symbols of the Four Evangelists.

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* * * *{{cite book , author= , title=The Art of Medieval Spain, A.D. 500–1200 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WdXQnaME1gMC&q=cross+of+ferdinand+and+sancha+madrid&pg=PA244 , year=1993 , publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York , place= , isbn=9780810964334 Reliquary crosses 11th-century sculptures Ivory works of art Romanesque sculptures Collection of the National Archaeological Museum, Madrid Crucifixes

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