Tuesday 21 June 2016

wooden cross


Wooden cross of Latin type made from pieces of a boat that was wrecked off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy on 11 October, 2013. The vertical and horiziontal pieces are joined with a cross halved joint. The cross piece retains scuffed blue paint on the front, upper and lower surfaces. The front of the vertical section has layers of damaged paint. The base coat is dark green which was covered with a beige colour then painted orange. The sides and back are planed down to the timber surface. There is a small hole for suspension on the back of the vertical near the top. A fragment of an iron nail survives at the top in the right side of the cross piece. The back of the cross piece is signed F. Tuccio, Lampedusa




This cross was donated to the British Museum by Mr Tuccio as a memorial to the 311 Eritrean and Somali refugees who drowned when their boat capsized off the coast of Lampedusa. It is a symbol of individual suffering, courage, compassion and salvation, and stands witness to the humanity of those who care for the refugees as they travel in search of new lives.

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