Arma Christi

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Christ as Man of Sorrows between Four Angels, Master E. S., c 1460, engraving, Cabinet of Prints and Drawings, Dresden

Crown of thorns and nails of crucifixion on heraldic shield

Further information: Passion (Christianity)

The Arma Christi or Weapons of Christ is another name for the Instruments of the Passion. They are arms in the sense of heraldry, and also as the weapons Christ used to achieve his ends. They have a long tradition in iconography, dating back to the 9th century (the Utrecht Psalter of 830 for example). Miniatures of these objects were attached to rosaries and crucifixes, or drawn as aids to contemplation of the suffering of Christ. Those who had renounced the "weapons of this world" (2 Cor 10:4), the Arma Christi sought consolation and a weapon against temptation aided by these tokens [1].

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