Borkener fork cross
The Borkener Gabelkreuz (also Borkener Gabelkruzifix) is a forked crucifix in Borken , North Rhine-Westphalia, and dates from the second quarter of the 14th century. It hangs on the east wall of the south aisle of St. Remigius Church .
description
The crucifix shows a direct Rhenish influence in a style comparison. The cross has a height of 161 cm and a width of 89 cm. The body itself is 92 cm tall with an arm span of 85 cm. The three upper parts of the cross were additions, while the lower part on the shaft of the cross is original. Furthermore, all fingers, the left knee and parts of the feet are additions. The body is made of walnut wood, the arms, lower legs and the cross are made of oak. Smaller repairs were made in limewood, these were replaced by oak in 1952. There were several overpaintings and cementings, these had significantly changed the original impression. In the first version, the cross (ie not the body) was green. In the head there is a relic from the soupedaneum of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Two strips of parchment with this reference are dated differently, one to the late 14th, the other to the 16th century.
Restorations
A comprehensive restoration was carried out from 1952 to 1954, before there were various conservation measures. The condition in 1952 was very bad, in particular the walnut wood had decayed badly, the mass found was described as “powdery” to “peat-like”, and it was broken in the middle. This damage had previously been repaired with brass rings and plaster of paris. The body was hollowed out from the shoulder area to the knee area, the removed parts were anyway in the condition described above, the remaining parts soaked with a hardening liquid. Finally, a support frame made of oak was built into the now hollow figure. The oak parts of the crucifix were much better preserved and hardly needed to be restored. The top three additions to the cross stem and beam are from 1952ff. been removed.
The version
The medieval version shows a gray-pink body, the traces of blood from the flagellation are arranged in a three-ray ornament. Narrow streaks of blood cover the forehead, starting from the crown of thorns. This crown of thorns is made of a green set of rope, iron thorns worked into it, the hair is made of hemp with a primer and dark paint. The loincloth has been redesigned due to the lack of original findings. The green of the cross itself, which belonged to the medieval first version, was not restored but a shade of brown was chosen.
literature
- Fritz Kuchel: The restoration of the fork cross in Borken . In: 1200 years of St. Remigius Borken; Publisher: Provost Parish St. Remigius Borken; Print: Rehms-Druck Borken 1983