Cross: Saint Anthony of Padua Pendant figure, 16th–18th century; cross, 19th century Kongo peoples; Kongo Kingdom This cross has been assembled from distinct components. The cross itself is composed of two pieces of wood with the horizontal element fitted into a notch in the vertical one so that both sections lie flush. In addition, niches have been carved into the surface of the wood for the inclusion of metalwork embellishments. The cross culminates in a rounded knob and a small band of cross–hatch patterning is carved at the center of the horizontal beam. The figure of a standing male, posi

Cross: Saint Anthony of Padua Pendant figure, 16th–18th century; cross, 19th century Kongo peoples; Kongo Kingdom This cross has been assembled from distinct components. The cross itself is composed of two pieces of wood with the horizontal element fitted into a notch in the vertical one so that both sections lie flush. In addition, niches have been carved into the surface of the wood for the inclusion of metalwork embellishments. The cross culminates in a rounded knob and a small band of cross–hatch patterning is carved at the center of the horizontal beam. The figure of a standing male, positioned in the niche at center, was originally a pendant that features a metal loop incorporated on the figure’s back. The loop has been employed to attach the figure to the wooden frame (see for a detached pendant). The figure wears the tonsure and triple-knotted belt of the Franciscan order and in his proper right hand he holds a cross. At his proper left side he supports a standing figure of Christ balanced on an open book and holding a bird. These distinctive attributes are based on a European prototype for depictions of Saint Anthony of Padua, a patron saint of Italy and Portugal. From the late fifteenth century, when the Kongo leadership adopted Christianity, they employed such devotional objects to demonstrate their political and religious authority. Saint Anthony became popular in Kongo after Italian Capuchin missionaries spread his cult in the mid-seventeenth century. While Kongo artists drew inspiration from European prototypes in the creation of Christian devotional works, these symbols soon became central to Kongo religious practices. Missionary sources describe how Saint Anthony was claimed as the emblem of a Kongo religious reform movement led by the young noblewoman Beatriz Kimpa Vita (1684–1706). She encouraged the production of small statues of Saint Anthony among her followers, perhaps encouraging the widespread production of his image in Kon

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