J+M+J

Preserving Catholic Traditions for Tomorrow's Faithful

Standing Crucifixes + Barwood Crucifixes + Traditional Wood Crucifixes +  Modern Metal Crucifixes

  Pectoral ~ Pillow ~ Relic Crucifixes  +  Unusual and Specialty Crucifixes

When we travel to estate sales, most people are looking at the tables and in the cupboards for depression glass, silver and other worldly treasures. Not us. We immediately head for the bedrooms and look for the Crucifixes that traditionally hang over the beds. Our son scans the doorways looking for the Crosses that bless each room.

Every dusty old bit of blessed palm is carefully collected and brought to a church to be burned. We  especially love to find sick call Crucifixes in which the candles have been used. This speaks of a loving Catholic family who helped a child of God return safely home.

Prayer Before a Crucifix

Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus,
I cast myself upon my knees in Thy sight,
and with the most fervent desire of my soul
I pray and beseech Thee that Thou wouldst impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, with true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment,
while with deep affection and and grief of soul
I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate Thy five Wounds, having before my eyes that which David, the prophet, spoke of Thee, my Jesus:

"They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones."

If your Crucifix breaks or if you find some at estate sales that are unusable, please bring them to your parish where they will be buried.

We hope you enjoy this photo archive. Please click on images to enlarge. You can also move quickly through the categories of Crucifixes by using the links above.

Whether they grace the

Altar of Sacrifice, a mantle,

or a bedside table, there is a remarkable variety of standing Crucifixes to be found in

Catholic homes.

Here is a small representation

of the many we've placed in

Catholic homes around the world.

Standing Gilded Pot Metal Crucifix c. 1890s

Standing Copper Cast Crucifix c. 1910s

Standing Hand Carved German Wayside Shrine c.1940s

Standing Tabletop Crucifix

from the estate of a Grey Nun c. 1930s

Standing Gilded Crucifix c. 1940s

Standing Gilded Sunburst Crucifix c. 1940s

Standing Memorial Crucifix c. 1940s

Standing Passion Crucifix c. 1880s

Standing Early Plastic Wayside Shrine c. 1950s

Standing Porcelain Celtic Cross with Shamrocks

c. 1980s

Standing Domed Passion Crucifix c. 1890s

Sold on behalf of a local parish.

Standing Silver Crucifix c. 1940

Standing Chrome Crucifix c. 1940

Standing Stations of the Cross Crucifix

Plastic Encased Stations of the Cross Crucifix from Knock, Ireland c. 1960s

Folding Sick Call Votive Crucifix c. 1880s

Wayside Crucifix with Votive c. 1950s

Standing Wood Crucifix c. 1930s. Like the barwood Crucifixes below, this was a "souvenir" of a mountain resort where logging was an important industry. It is inscribed Catskill Mountains.

Standing Wood Crucifix with

Three Steps Representing the Holy Trinity c. 1940s

Porcelain Celtic Cross c. 1970s

These beautiful Crucifixes mostly date to the 1930s. Popular as "souvenirs" in mountain resort areas where logging was an important industry, they are formed by sawdust treated under pressure in elaborate molds. The type of wood determines the coloration. As they age, they can become quite fragile and caution is called for in handling.

An exceptionally large barwood 16"Crucifix

An example of light color barwood

Red hued barwood

Two beautiful Crucifixes that suffered breakage

Mid-sized Crucifix with damage to ip

There is a wide array of Crucifixes that are placed on top of the casket during the Rite of Christian burial. Some are designed to be taken home and hung on a wall to remind us to pray for the deaceased. Others are designed for outdoor use, often on the door of a standing tomb or for placement in a wayside shrine.

Aluminum Crucifix for Outdoor Entombment

Copper Crucifix with Budded Symbolism

Typical example of filigree casket Crucifix

Filigree Casket Crucifix showing details

Filigree Casket Crucifix with Jeweled IHS

Gold Plated Jeweled Filigree Casket Crucifix in Presentation Box

Gold Plated IHS Filigree Casket Crucifix in Presentation Box

Unusual Lattice Work Casket Crucifix

Unusual Casket Crucifix in presentation box with IHS, Sunburst and My Jesus Mercy motifs

Cast Aluminum Casket Crucifix with Bronze Airbrushed Finish

Early 1910s Casket Crucifix in presentation box with unusual budded motif on back

Chrome and Copper Casket Crucifix

Copper Burnished Casket Crucifix

Copper Finish Casket Crucifix

Ornate design in Chrome finished Cast Aluminum Casket Crucifix

Chrome Finish Cast Aluminum Casket Crucifix

IHS Filigree Casket Crucifix

Although there are many types of Crucifixes available, we suspect that given the choice, most of us prefer a traditional Crucifix made of wood. Although we've found many of these in a variety of Catholic estates, a large amount were found in the estate of a community of Grey Nuns who had many in each room of their dwelling place.

21" Wood Crucifix with Bronze Corpus

Antique German Crucifix with Carved Wood Corpus and INRI c.1910s

Modern Wood Crucifix in Box with Vertical INRI

Detail from a wood Crucifix with Chalkware  Corpus c. 1930s

Small Modern Blonde Wood Crucifix

Modern Wood Crucifix with Vertical INRI

Oak Crucifix with Copper Corpus c. 1930s

Maple Crucifix with Gold Corpus and INRI

21" Maple Crucifix with Pewter Corpus

Oak Crucifix with Copper Corpus and Brass Inlay

Light Wood Crucifix with Plaster Corpus Beautifully Hand Painted to Show the Terrible Bruising on the Corpus. Although this looks modern, it actually dates to the 1930s

German Crucifix with Highly Stylized Corpus in Bronze. Dates to the late 1930s. This one hung in our office for a few years.

German Crucifix with Brass Inlay. From the estate of a Felician Nun

Modern Crucifix c. 1970s with Brass Inlay

Crucifix Inlaid with Fine Veneer

Detail of a 28" Wood Crucifix with Pewter Corpus

Large Dark Wood Crucifix with Brass Inlay

21" Crucifix with Copper Corpus

Wood Crucifix Tipped with Symbols of the Four Evangelists

Oak Mission Crucifix

Wood Crucifix Inlaid with Mother of Pearl Veneer

Wood Crucifix Mother of Pearl Veneer and Brass Inlay

Wood Crucifix Tipped with Mother of Pearl

Wood Crucifix Covered with Mother of Pearl Veneer and Brass Inlay

The Remaining Crucifixes Shown are all from the estate of a group of Grey Nuns of the Cross

Following Vatican II metal Crucifixes became very popular. They can be found with the Corpus in brass, pewter and plastic. Not our favorites. You'll notice that most of these are in their original boxes. So, not the favorites of those who owned them either.

This group includes Crucifixes for personal wear by Priests and religious as well as pillow Crucifixes and those containing relic materials such as bark and soil

Five Crucifixes worn by religious. Most inlaid with ebony wood, one with mother of pearl

Budded Crucifix with Catacombs Earth

Spina Crucifix with Catacombs Earth

Ebony and Chrome Pillow Crucifix

Ebony Pocket Crucifix with Pouch

French Pectoral Crucifix from the estate of a Soeur Grise de la Croix

Gold Pardon Crucifix

Mysterious Iron Cross in elaborate presentation box. This was in the estate of a Catholic Priest. If anyone knows what this is, please email us.

Large Handheld and Hand wrought Silver Crucifix

6" Ebony Skull and Crossbones Pectoral Pillow Crucifix with Rosa Mystica on back

My Crucifix - Pardon Crucifix with Carrying Case

Two Crosses with Stones from the Cave of the Nativity

Pardon Crucifix in Velvet Lined Case

Passionist Pectoral Crucifix

Pectoral Pillow Crucifix

Pectoral Pillow Crucifix

Pectoral Pillow Crucifix

Pocket My Crucifix

Pocket Stations of the Cross in Pressed Tin

Small Skull and Cross Bones Crucifix

Pectoral Pillow Crucifix

Stations of the Cross Crucifix with Calvary Soil

Hand Held Crucifix with Stone Inlay

Just as every estate we've visited has been unique in its own way, so are many of the beautiful and strange Crucifixes. Here is a representation of those we've come across over the years.

Blue Mirror Crucifix c. 1930s

Saint Benedict Cross of Papier Mache

Blue Enamel Stations of the Cross Crucifix

Saint Bridget's Cross

Carved Olivewood Christ Carrying Cross

Clothes Pin Crucifix

Corn Husk - Straw Crucifix

Crucifix Under Domed Glass

A rather ordinary modern metal Crucifix in a black velvet lined shadow box

Face of Christ on Cross

A rather ordinary 1950s plastic Stations of the Cross Crucifix place in an elaborate velvet lined frame

Crucifix made of Glass with Plaster Corpus

Jeweled Mirror Crucifix in Presentation Box

Matchstick Crucifix The entire veneer is made of matches that have been used and inset onto a wood Cross - even on the back! The effect is surprisingly pleasant.

Domed Passion Crucifix with wood base c. 1890s

Trinity Crucifix. A surprisingly nice modern Cross

Verdigris Metal Crucifix with Tole Olive Branch

Elaborate carved Mother of Pearl with Soil Relic Inlay in base. Back has openings for pressing in soil while walking the Way of the Cross in the Holy Land. In presentation box.

It is a small representation of the hundreds that have come through our home.  We invite you to share your favorites with us.