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St. Benedict Crucifix BANCEL. Atélier BANCEL was a legend in the world of Catholic religious art in France for almost 2 centuries. The family-owned business had been in existence since the 1850s.
Each piece was hand cast from nickel silver, which does not rust. The wood inlays are real ebony wood and the nails used to fasten the Corpus are actually going all the way through the crucifix. BANCEL closed its doors in around 2009. Their pieces are rare and very difficult to find now. They made many sizes of crucifixes, and the St. Benedict Medal Crucifix was one of their most popular. Even new, in 2001, this piece sold for around $120.00. They were not very much seen outside of France. There are simply less and less of these pieces around. They are so well made, by hand, that they last for generations.
The history, symbolism, and devotion surrounding of the jubilee medal of St. Benedict are legend and so copious that I cannot go into all of it here. This is the original Monte Casino version issued in the 19th century.
There are many cheaper \'knock offs\' of this BANCEL crucifix available today, many made in Italy, and even China. They are not the same quality, not even close. The Corpus and placard are solid nickel silver. The crucifix weighs 8.6 ounces. It is heavy and you know when you are holding it. This is the largest size made of this style of crucifix by BANCEL: 8 inches tall and 4 inches wide.
