Holy Week Special: The Throne of the Holy Sepulchre of Málaga

The throne of Christ was designed by Moreno Carbonero and executed in fine wood and bronze in the Granda workshops in 1926.

The Royal Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre performs its outward transfer on Holy Thursday at 13:30. The route begins at the Church of Santa Ana and goes to the Brotherhood House located in Alcazabilla Street.

The return transfer takes place, once the thrones are enclosed in their Casa Hermandad, on the night of Good Friday, around 3.00 a.m. on Holy Saturday.

The Throne
In 1921, the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre planned to acquire a new throne for the Lord, which would give greater solemnity to the future processional parades.

The Sisterhood received two different proposals: one from the sculptor Francisco Palma García (1887-1938), which was never realized; and a second project by the Malaga painter José Moreno Carbonero (1858-1942).

The Brotherhood decided in favor of Moreno Carbonero's project, which was completed in 1927 in the Granda art workshopsand it is the one that is currently in procession.

This throne was a major innovation The design was not marked by a baroque or neo-gothic line, but it brought a new style without any precedent in Andalusia. Regardless of the beauty and natural elegance of the throne. Moreno Carbonero presented as most striking novelty the way of conceiving the death of Christ by designing a kind of catafalque or tumulus that replaces the urn, being this one a more humanized way to conceive and offer to the people the death of the Redeemer of the human race.

Approximate measurementsIt is 4.15 meters long by 3.10 meters wide and about 4 meters high. It was carried in procession for the first time in the Holy Week of 1927 with the image of the Lord that the Brotherhood owned.

Iconographic message of the Throne of Christ
It expresses hierarchically the different epochs that the Christian people lived through in their historical journey towards the Messiah.

On the lower part of the throne, there is a series of legends that allude to Jesus Christ as the Savior of humanity.

Above the frieze is the body of the throne with reliefs concerning the Old Testament. Among these reliefs we can establish two groups, some made in sterling silver and mahogany, forming cartouches or tetra lobed medallions, and others carved in polychrome and stewed wood.
Silver gussets

Representation of the Sacrifice of Melchizedek and the offerings of bread and wine (Genesis 14,18). It is the symbol of the Last Supper in which Christ institutes the Eucharist.

The Sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb by Aaron (Exodus 12,21-28). Symbology of the liberation of Christians by the Death of Jesus.

Moses makes water flow from the rock in the desert (Num. 20:7-13). Symbology of the Baptism of Christ and his Mercy with the people.

Healing of the bronze serpent, in the desert, to those wounded by the bites of reptiles (Numbers 21,4-9). Symbology of Christ as the bronze serpent that triumphs over evil healing human souls.

It represents the Blessed Virgin with the Child Jesus in her hands, between small cherubs. It symbolizes the Mater Dolorosa.

Polychrome reliefs and stephens

The risen Christ righteous before King David holding the harp in his hands.
The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel who foretold the coming of King Messiah.
Scene depicting Moses, David and Noah's Ark and Daniel being fed by Habakkuk.
Noah, Ezra and Abraham with his son Isaac.

Group of angels with instruments of the Passion, on the front and back of the throne.
In the upper body or catafalque, scenes from the New Testament are framed in rectangular panels made of bronze and separated by pilasters. Above and below these reliefs are enamels in the form of Doric metopes, running the length of the sepulchral slab with floral, vegetal, geometric and zoomorphic motifs.

On one of the sides of the catafalque The Incarnation, the Nativity and Jesus in the Temple teaching the Doctors are represented. On the other sideOn the front of the catafalque there is the scene of the Prayer in the Garden, the Sentence of Death before the people in the presence of Pilate and the Way of Calvary with the Holy Woman Veronica. On the front of the catafalque appears the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the twelve apostles, and on the back the bas-relief corresponds to the scene of the Holy Transfer. At each vertex of the upper part four thick columns of onyx. In enamel are the coats of arms of Malaga, the Brotherhood and the Navy.

Hachones
At the base of the throneThe corners accommodate the four Evangelists, who were reincorporated to the throne in 1976.

Made in mahogany and bronze, following the general tone of the throne, they accommodate in their bases three chapels each, which form a set of twelve chapels, meticulously sculpted in bronze, carvings of the twelve apostles.