Antique Mexican Painted Wood Cross w/ Divino Rostro

 I found this late 19th-early 20th century painted cross in central Mexico. I do not know exactly where in Mexico it was made, but it is a true folk piece, made by an untrained indigenous artisan, probably used in a small village church. What I find particularly appealing is that even an object as inherently solemn as a cross is decorated with irrepressible colors and flowers, stripes, and dots, yet the effect is never irreverent. Part of what makes this cross very unusual is the inclusion of the Divino Rostro, or Veronica's Veil, image at its center. The story of this iconic image, beloved in Mexican devotional art, is that as Jesus was struggling along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, a woman named Veronica was moved with compassion to wipe the sweat from his face with her veil. The veil, miraculously imprinted with his suffering face, became a holy relic.While it is not uncommon to find this image in old Mexican retablos, it is unusual to find it carved onto a cross.
The dry old paint has a heavy craquelure in some areas, notably the flowers, base, the face, and the INRI banner. Remarkably, one of the large carved wooden nails remains at the foot of the cross. Unfortunately the other two were lost. Dimensions are 13" high, 7" at the widest point. Base is 3 1/4" x 4 3/4".
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Thanks for looking.
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