The sculpture retains traces of paint and
gilding. Despite its small scale, it is crafted in a monumental style. It depicts the dead and crucified body of Christ, a representation that, by the 12th century, was widely seen as a symbol of human suffering. The work is noted for its high-quality craftsmanship and the subtle, sensitive rendering of the torso. The stunted legs are a notable and somewhat inexplicable feature. The sculpture is damaged, with both arms, which would have been made separately, now missing. It is one of the few surviving northern European ivory statuettes of its kind (around 50 are known), which were popular in Paris around 1300, and it is arguably the finest of its kind. The sculpture was likely intended to be hung above an altar as a visible symbol of the sacrifice of the Son of God and a testament to his triumph over death. It was in a private collection in Argentina from 1964 until its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005. ==Notes==