with ivory skull and crossbones, repoussé silver starburst, on later green velvet covered wood backing.

Surface abrasions, small chips, and very minor losses consistent with age. Top half of proper right and left forefingers reattached. Minor age cracks. Remainders of red polychromy. Some natural inclusions (osteodentine) in the ivory. Standard surface abrasions and minor losses to the separately carved skull and cross bones. Crown of thorns in several pieces and with some restorations. Silver repousée sunburst probably associated. Needs cleaning. Extremely fine quality.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Stylistically, the present sculpture recalls the very fine carving of the Augsburg Baroque sculptor Georg Petel (1601/2-1634).  While this corpus was probably made during the second half of the 17th century, the elegance of the design, the refined treatment of the numerous drapery folds and the facial type are reminiscent of Petel’s work.

In the present carving, the sculptor borrowed elements of Petel's designs and enhanced them. The proportions here are more fluid, the limbs and torso are slightly longer and the drapery is more dynamic, as is the b🦋eautifully undercut hair around Christ’s face. The addition of a rope around the proper right ankle of the figure is an uncommon detail on ivory corpora but appears on a very similar aꦰnd large Flemish corpus sold at Sotheby's, London, April 3, 1984, lot 278.

Petel left Germany and became an itinerant craftsman. In 1620/21⛦ he met Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp who was an important influence on him. Petel later travelled to Rome and then Genoa where many artists from the north settled.

The representation of the 'living' Christ was important for the ideology of the Counter-Reformation during the 17th century, as it signified the desire for everlasting lif🥂e and the belief in the Resurrection.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Schädler, Georg Petel 1601/2-1634, Berlin 1973, nos. 1-3, 37 and 38, cat. nos. 2, 11, 12
F. Negro Arnoldi, 'Origine e diffusione del Crocefisso barocco con l'imagine del Cristo vivente', in Storia dell'Arte, 20, 1974