Antique Jerusalem Holy Land Altar Reliquary Relic Cross Wood Inlaid Mother Pearl

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Antique Jerusalem Holy Land Altar Reliquary Relic Cross Wood Inlaid Mother Pearl:
$700.00

This is such a rare cross. It is a reliquary, made to hold relics. Those on pilgrimage to the Holy Land would collect stones from the places where Jesus walked, the stations of the cross, and places of his birth, etc. I wondered if this cross was made for such a collection? Usually standing table crosses were made for an altar. The front of the cross has a carved out place for a relic. The back slides open to reveal small cut out holes to place relics in. 3 pieces of wood slide out, but one has loss on the inner side, and also is missing the round finial to the outside. The cross is very old. It is inlaid with mother of pearl and there is loss. The INRI is missing too, and one other round finial missing from the top of the cross. There are 3 arrows which I have pondered about. Perhaps they stand for the Trinity? Perhaps they represent the nails from the passion? If someone out there knows, I\'d be grateful to know what they stand for. This is quite a rare find and truly lovely I think even with the losses. I don\'t know where or when you\'d find another. If you view the photos, you will see it is all hand carved wood. Dating to at least the 1800\'s but wondering if it could date even to the 1700\'s? Measures 15.5\" high by 6.5\" wide.I have other items for sale if you have time to take a peek. Thanks for looking.
God bless you!