The answer is: Crown of Thorns

Matt 27:29 - They 'plaited' a crown of thorns which means 'woven together'. A crown was worn by kings and commonly made from precious stones and metals. To ridicule the idea that Jesus was a king they probably plucked up the nearest thorn-bush and made it into something resembling a royal crown to mock him further.

The crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head at his crucifixion is not just a detail in the narrative; it acts as a poignant symbol of both suffering and irony. Imagine the Roman soldiers, likely indifferent or even enjoying the mockery of a claimed messiah reigning from a cross, grabbing thorns to create what they deemed a 'kingly' adornment. This act of humiliation sharpens the contrast between the ideas of earthly royalty and the nature of true kingship that Jesus embodied.

Historically, thorns are significant in the biblical context. They first appear in the Genesis account of the Fall and are associated with pain and toil, making thorny plants a reminder of human struggle. When they're woven into a crown, it foreshadows the painful sacrifice Jesus would undertake. Additionally, the act is an echo of a prophetic fulfillment, drawing parallels to Isaiah 53:3, which speaks of the suffering servant, describing a being “despised and rejected by men.”

Interesting trivia: In the ancient world, crowns of natural materials could reflect various roles; victors in athletic contests sometimes received leafy crowns. However, in Jesus’ case, the crown was about scorn rather than glory, a chilling reminder that he wasn’t just bearing a physical pain, but also the weight of humanity’s rejection. The contrast between the shimmering crowns of kings and the harshness of thorns adds depth to the interpretations surrounding his crucifixion and robustly challenges our definitions of power and honor.