God in a Bottle

God in a Bottle, a form of Patience/Whimsy/Puzzle Bottles. The God in a Bottle is a particular form of Folk Art traditionally associated with the Irish Diaspora living within Northern Mining Communities in the 19th Century.

The bottle contains carved wooden implements of the Arma Christi, or ‘Weapons of Christ.’ These include: The Ladder from the Deposition, The Hammer used to drive nails through Christ’s Hands and Feet, The Pincers used to remove the nails, The True Cross & The Crosses of the Penitent and Impenitent Thieves, The Holy Lance that Loginus pierced in Christ’s side (represented twice), and a Pick-axe and a Shovel, two implements included within the schemes of late medieval 'Sunday Christ’ Wall Paintings featuring Christ as The Man of Sorrows; iconography used to discourage congregations from working on Days of Obligation following the Black Death.

Similar Examples can be found in the Collections of: The National Museum of Ireland and Beamish Museum (Items exhibited as part of the Exhibition ‘British Folk Art’ in 2014 at Tate Britain & Compton Verney.)

Dimensions approximately: 28cmx7.5cm