Nineteenth-Century French Silver-Plated Standing Crucifix

This 19th-century silver-plated crucifix features a slender cross with pointed finials, dotted ornamentation, and a sculpted figure of Christ. A tall, baluster-shaped stem rises from a stepped triangular base supported by rounded feet, giving the piece an elegant architectural silhouette.

Walter Wells began collecting crucifixes over many years, finding them in Paris shops and Provençal brocantes. Mostly French and dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, they fascinated him for their variations in form, materials, and detail, particularly given his strict Protestant upbringing, where religious imagery was largely absent. Over time, Walter came to see each crucifix not simply as an object, but as an individual expression of sacrifice, grace, forgiveness, and acceptance. Several examples from his collection are available for separate purchase.