Lignam vitae Pilgrims pendant

This delicately hand carved and detailed amulet is Lignum vitae wood (the tree of life) the hardest wood on earth, a rich naturally perfumed wood that has a sweet and delicate fragrance that lingers for ever in it.
I have carved this effigy of Christ in his skeletal form, some may say that Christ left no earthly remains after the crucifixion but to that i say, yes but he was flesh and blood? So was bone as well? He lived in a body while here on earth and if God made man in his own image then you must understand that the skull is truly the face of god. In this work I merely illustrate that he was mortal, he was a man and he was fragile and vulnerable just like we all are.
I have carved this in the style of the old pilgrim pieces carved as talisman by travellers on the roads to holy lands since medieval times, often carved from pieces of wood taken along the way, often a crude and a traditional folk art that held value and meaning.
I have hung this piece on a hand woven Black rope cord so that it may be worn or hung from a mirror in your vehicle or in the home and i will leave you to find your own meaning and conclusion to what this means to you.
This wood will darken in time as UV light causes it to react and the colour will change slightly but these pieces only improve with age and ware as they develop a fine polish and patina.