The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-07-14


jealons keepers will not permit a
close examination. What is known
as the Genoese portrait is unques-
tionably of remote origin, and repre-
sents Christ with n trifurcated beard
and q full, round Bazantine face. AT
the PRONUNCIATION of the dogma OF
the immaculate Conception, Decem-
Der 8, 1854, there were exhibited in
the chapel of the blessed sacrament
at st Peters a number of relics OF
the passion of Christ; and among
them the famous veil of st. VarOni-
ca, on which are said. to be impressed
the Iineaments of the Savior. None
but bishops were allowed 10 enter
the chapel, and to the crowd gazing
through the grating nothing could
be clearly distinguished. BY special
favor however, NJ. Barber de Mont
ault, canon of the Basilica of Anagni,
was permitted to approach the shrine
and carefully scrutinize the mysteri-
Gus picture. We give his own des-
cription:
"The holy face is enclosed i'll a
frame of silver partially gilt and
square, of q severe character, and
little adorned. The simplicity of
the bordering gives prnmine,':.@a-S,-
| the fHtcrio~ sthe pictnre, Wnlcn Is
protected by thin plate of crystal.
Unfortunately, by one of those Gus
toms so common in Italy, a sheet of
metal covers the field, and only
leaves apparent the figure indicating
its outline. BY this outline one is
led to conjecture flowing hair reach
ing to the shoulders, and a short
beard, bifurcated and small. The
other features are so vaguely indica-
ted or so completely effacted that it
requires the hveliest imagination in
the world to perceive traces of eyes
or nose. In short, one does not see
the material of the substance because
of the useless Intervention of metal
plate, and the place OF impression
exhibits only blackish surface, not
giving any evidence of human fea-
lures.
But the face of Christ Is not always
dclineated on wood or canvas, but is
to be found in various shapes upon
the earliest Christian sarcophagi al
so done in enamel and mosaic, and
frcscocd Oh the walls and ceiling of
the Roman catacOmbs. These sarco-
phagi are of white marble, generally
highly ornamcntcd with elaborate
bas rclicfs, and evidence, by the care
bestowed upon their preparation, the
respect in which the dead were held
even in that era ofcOrruptiOn, tyran-
ny and violence. Except i'll the ma
turc of the symbols carved thereon,
there is no pan ticular difference be- !
tween the Christian and pagan sarco-
phagi. That of Junius Bassus, who |
died in the year 2J9, has the face of |
the Saviour four times repeated. 1t |
is youthful almost to Childishness,
with flaming hair and bcardlcss chin {;
the features of the ordinary classic |
types. Embedded in the mortar of |
the tomb of Eutychia in the cata- !
combs, whom the inscrip ion de-
clares to be "thc happiest of woman
was found beautiful glass goblet |
On this gObleti Is portrayed in enamel /
a representation of the resurrection !
of Lazarus. Christ is there shown |
Young and beautiful with curled hair |
but beardless while in another COB
let from the same tomb he is seen |
bearing the fruit of the tree of lite,
bearded led .e, with jh .ui Ions glu a. and a P}EEiHg L
nose. But the ceiling of the I
fourth chamber in the catacOmb OF !
st. CaliXtus is frcscOed large media
lion, surrounded by a curious orna-
of doves and arabeSques.
In the centre of this medallion Is 4
bust Of Christ. The figure is partial
ly nude, some draping being flung
over the left shoulder. The face is
oval, the brow smooth and lofty, the
eyebrows arched, the nose straight,
and the whole cOuHtance beaming
m expression of mingled gravity
and mildHcss. The parted hair drops
in curls upon the shoulders; the
beard is short, scanty and bitUrcIted, |
and the general appearance indicates
I person between the ages OF thirty
md forty. The catacOmb OF Nercus
and Achilles has full length figure
Of Christ not differing materially
from the above, and in the catacomb
Dt St-AgueS is a representation of
Him OF 'thc Resurrection and the
Life. In the latter the brow is high,
he face oval but not long, the lower
lip somewhat coarse, light nous
-achc, a small pointed beard and eyes
Dbliteratcd. On the tomb of st.
Cecilia Is 4 life-size bust of Christ,
showing a pcaT-shaped face, small
and no beard. In the
cemetery of Pratextati there is one
Df the latest discovered fTcscOcs of
Dur Lord, which represents him
caching rs a philosopher the face is
Of the usual style but has no divided
beard. The arch is. Paolo-fuori-Ie-
Muri at Rome, has a representation
IN Mosaic OF the four and twenty
elders offering their CROWNS. In the
lone the Saviour appears in glory
with the founders Ofthc church ador-
,tiou on either side. His right hand
i raised in bcncdiction, while the
eft holds the sccptra The figure is
clothed 10 The neck; the face is calm
and grave, the eyes large, luminous
md tender.
We might cnumeratc many other
lclineatiOns of the divine COunte-
nance, but enough have beenImcntion-
cd to show a marked resemblance in
The main characteristics manifested
in all, thereby proving that the like
ness recognized by Christcndom rests
OH we'll established tradition. and
not on vague imagination,