Antique Argentine Folk Art Crucifix Bignoli Alpaca Silverware Corpus From A Fork For Sale

This crucifix was hand-fabricated by an unknown folk artisan using genuine antique Bignoli alpaca (nickel silver) flatware, incised ILONGIB which is Bignoli spelled backwards. Their flatware was manufactured in Buenos Aires, Argentina circa the 1920s. The maker cut, bent, and hammered fork tines and spoon bowls into a fully articulated corpus — head with crown of thorns, outstretched arms, torso, and feet — then mounted the figure onto a hand-joined wooden cross.

This is not a mass-produced religious article. It is a genuine piece of vernacular devotional folk art, almost certainly made by hand for personal or family use, likely in Argentina, using flatware that may have been already decades old at the time it was repurposed.

DETAILS:

• Wood cross with hand-cut lap joint, aged patina, single drilled hanging hole

• Corpus fashioned from antique Bignoli alpaca flatware (Buenos Aires, c. 1920s)

• Visible hand-forging: hammered tines, bent spoon bowl, hand-fastened joints

• Approximate age: early-to-mid 20th century

• Condition: consistent with age — please review all photos closely, including the small split near one arm

Please examine every photo carefully, as they are part of the description. Feel free to message me with any questions before purchasing — I'm happy to answer them.

WHY BUY FROM ME:

I have been a seller on since 1997 with a long track record of accurately described items and satisfied buyers. Check my response.

Thank you for looking, and please reach out with any questions!