Crucifix
Artist/Maker
Kongo people
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date16th century
CultureKongo
Mediumwood and copper alloy
DimensionsOverall: 20 3/8 x 9 1/2 x 1 1/8 in. (51.8 x 24.1 x 2.9 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineGift of The May Department Stores Company
Terms
Object number68.002.006
On View
On viewCollections
DescriptionPortuguese landed at the mouth of the Congo River in 1482. By 1490, Christian missionaries had converted the royal family. The Christian image of the crucifix was congenial to the Kongo people who regarded it as similar to their own powerful religious concept of the four moments of the sun – birth, life, death, and renewal – shown in the form of a four armed cross. It also reminded them of the sign of the crossroads, a place of great portent for most Africans.- Art of Africa
