Corpus Christi, taly early 15th century

Large Italian limewood Corpus Christi. Very elongated static shape with almost exaggerated long arms and legs in comparison to the torso. The very long and thin fingers enhance the length of the arms even more. The arms are extremely thin but beautifully sculpted with great attention to anatomical details as veins, tendons, muscle, shoulders etc.
All these elongated, thin and stretched anatomical features contribute to the overall feeling of fragility of this Christ on the Cross.
The legs (ending in long toes) are not curved but slightly forwardly inclined at the height of the knees. Torso is also straight and the head of Christ falls down on His right shoulder as if asleep. The straight depiction of body is more inspired by early byzantine corpora than by S-shaped gothic corpora.
This figure of Christ has never been sculpted with a perizonium: the perizonium was added in (now decomposed) carta pesta (papier mâché) or textile. Weathered, traces of xylophagi, cracks, losses…
Origin: north Italy (Liguria? Piemonte?) beginning of XVth century. Sculpted in limewood.
Dimensions: 78 x 75 cm