Cross
1650-1750 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Before the revolution of 1917, almost all Orthodox Russians wore pendant crosses. These crosses were originally based on Byzantine patterns. Most are made of cast silver, and they frequently have complex designs with Cyrillic inscriptions and iconographic details which are unique to the Russian Orthodox Church.
This cross has the trefoil outline of many Russian crosses, but it is decorated with enamel and pastes rather than the iconographic detail of most cast crosses. On the front it has a typical Russian Orthodox crucifix, with the title above the main bar, and a slanting bar across the bottom. The back is entirely covered with enamel and green stones. The trefoil bale has probably been added.
This cross has the trefoil outline of many Russian crosses, but it is decorated with enamel and pastes rather than the iconographic detail of most cast crosses. On the front it has a typical Russian Orthodox crucifix, with the title above the main bar, and a slanting bar across the bottom. The back is entirely covered with enamel and green stones. The trefoil bale has probably been added.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt set with an emerald, garnets, and red and green pastes, and decorated with cloisonné enamel |
| Brief description | Silver-gilt cross set with red and green stones, and decorated with green enamels, Russia, 17th to 18th century. |
| Physical description | Silver-gilt cross with trefoil ends and openwork fans in the interstices, hanging from a trefoil-shaped bead with two red, and one green, stones on each side. Obverse; crucifix, with title above in Cyrillic characters. The ends of the cross are each set with a red paste, surrounded by green enamel cloisonne leaves. Reverse; overall design of green and blue cloisonne enamel, with central green stones and domes of cloisonne enamel on each end. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed with Cyrillic characters |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Before the revolution of 1917, almost all Orthodox Russians wore pendant crosses. These crosses were originally based on Byzantine patterns. Most are made of cast silver, and they frequently have complex designs with Cyrillic inscriptions and iconographic details which are unique to the Russian Orthodox Church. This cross has the trefoil outline of many Russian crosses, but it is decorated with enamel and pastes rather than the iconographic detail of most cast crosses. On the front it has a typical Russian Orthodox crucifix, with the title above the main bar, and a slanting bar across the bottom. The back is entirely covered with enamel and green stones. The trefoil bale has probably been added. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 104-1866 |
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| Record created | February 15, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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