Italian, 18th Century

This ecclesiastical piece was sourced from an Italian church and constructed during the Baroque era. Following the Protestant movement, the Catholic Church endeavored to regain its lost members. In hopes to recapture the people's attention they built more theatrical churches. Items like this piece were commissioned to showcase the grandeur and dynamism of the Heavens. The combination of the cross, heart, and thorns symbolized true faith in Christianity and Jesus, while the radiating sunlight represented spiritual enlightenment and Heaven. Theses combinations depicted that only those with true faith in Christianity would reach paradise in the afterlife.