ANTIQUE C. 19th CENT. IMPERIAL RUSSIAN SILVER " 84 " ORNATE ORTHODOX " SKULL " CROSS
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:28118035 | Country/Region of Manufacture: Unknown |
| Featured Refinements: Antique Orthodox Cross | Material: Russian solid silver "84" hallmark |
Authentic antique fine RussianOrthodox silver Cross pendant featuring traditional "Old Believers"ornate design with image of the three-bar Savior's Cross over the skull (Adam'shead). The Cross is made in solid silver and is decorated with colored enamelinlays (partially preserved). It bears the "84" old Russian silverhallmark and a three-letter maker's mark on the reverse. Origin c. 19thcentury Imperial Russia. The Cross shows signs of wear due to its age anddevotional wearing, includi...ng reduced quality of images and inscriptions, chippedoff enamel fragments, scratches, dents and deformations, and patches of silverpatina. The inside of the necklace bale shows signs of wear consistent withlong wearing. The size and weight of the Cross are shown on the photographs forthis listing. The obverse bears an image of thethree-bar Suppedaneum cross, several inscriptions made with Cyrillic letters, and image of the skull, or Adam's head buried below the cross. The Byzantinethree-bar cross is venerated in the Orthodox and some Eastern Catholicchurches. Such a cross has three horizontal crossbeams: the top one representsthe "INRI" nameplate, and the bottom one, a footrest. The footrestcrossbeam is depicted pointing up, toward Heaven, on Christ's right hand sidewhere the Penitent thief, St. Dismas was crucified. The three-bar Savior’sCross is framed with floral or vine-like ornament symbolizing the life-givingnature of the Christian Cross, and also referring to the preaching of Christ:"I am the vine; you are the branches" (John 15:5). Another possiblescriptural reference for this particular type of the "Old Believers"cross is Psalm 128 of David: "Your wife shall be as a fruitfulvine...". In such a cross' depiction, the"INRI" inscription made by Pontius Pilate is considered profane orblasphemous, and is not used as the nameplate. Instead, the top end of thecross pendant bears a two-letter abbreviation in Church Slavonic which means"KING OF GLORY". The side ends of the central horizontal crossbarbear the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ inscribed as the Greek Christogram, as the"IC" on the left, and the "XC" on the right. A symbolic image of the skull, orAdam's head, buried below the Savior's Cross refers to Golgotha (Calvary), theelevated site where Jesus was crucified, which the Bible says means "theplace of the skull" in Hebrew. An ancient tradition of Catholic andOrthodox Churches held that it was also the burial place of Adam, thus alsosymbolizing the ultimate victory of Christ over sin and death.
Please examine all photographs carefully and do your own research if necessary. Please note that photographs are an important part of the item's description. The decorative stone and measuring meter are not for sale, and are photographed with the item in order to provide a size reference and artistic background. Please ask all questions before making a purchase. There are no guarantees with the listing because most items are original vintage or antique objects that are quite old. All items are sold "as is" with no returns because of a change of mind offered. Shipping and handling is free for the continental US. International shipping is handled by Ebay Global Shipping Program. International buyers, please familiarize yourself with the Global Shipping Program through the Ebay "Help" section and ask your shipping questions, if any, prior to buying. Please note that customs regulations differ from country to country, and it is a buyer's responsibility to ensure that any customs fees or other duties collected by the buyer's country are paid and satisfied in full.
Please examine all photographs carefully and do your own research if necessary. Please note that photographs are an important part of the item's description. The decorative stone and measuring meter are not for sale, and are photographed with the item in order to provide a size reference and artistic background. Please ask all questions before making a purchase. There are no guarantees with the listing because most items are original vintage or antique objects that are quite old. All items are sold "as is" with no returns because of a change of mind offered. Shipping and handling is free for the continental US. International shipping is handled by Ebay Global Shipping Program. International buyers, please familiarize yourself with the Global Shipping Program through the Ebay "Help" section and ask your shipping questions, if any, prior to buying. Please note that customs regulations differ from country to country, and it is a buyer's responsibility to ensure that any customs fees or other duties collected by the buyer's country are paid and satisfied in full.
