17th c. European Votive Holder with Christ on Cross

17th c. European Votive Holder with Christ on Cross
Rare 17th Century European Votive Candle Holder | Brass or Bronze Votive Holder Decorated with three panels, each with the figure of Christ on the Cross, and what appears to be the letters “INRI” at the top of each cross | Approx. Dimensions: Size 2.75" H x 2.5" W | Provenance: Ex Estate of Eldert Bontekoe (1954 - March 30, 2020), Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA | A votive candle or prayer candle is a small candle, typically white or beeswax yellow, intended to be burnt as a votive offering in an act of Christian prayer, especially within the Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Christian denominations, among others. In Christianity, votive candles symbolize the "prayers the worshipper is offering for him or herself, or for other people." The size of a votive candle is often two inches tall by one and a half inches diameter, although other votive candles can be taller and wider.LiteratureO'Toole, James M. (1 July 2005). Habits of Devotion. Cornell University Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780801472558. Everyday forms of Marian devotion like the recitation of daily prayers or litanies or the lighting of votive candles at a church or before a home altar, though still practiced, seem to be less attached to a communal focus.ProvenanceEx Estate of Eldert Bontekoe (1954 - March 30, 2020), Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan USANotesThe letters “INRI” are initials for the Latin title that Pontius Pilate had written over the head of Jesus Christ on the cross (John 19:19). INRI represent the latin phrase “Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm" (e.g., Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum), translated “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”