ANTIQUE C. 18th CENTURY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX " OLD BELIEVERS " CROSS With JESUS PRAYER
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:46295776 | Featured Refinements: Antique Orthodox Cross |
| Material: Bronze or similar copper alloy | Country/Region of Manufacture: Unknown |
Antique medium-sizedOrthodox "Old Believers" Cross pendant featuring plain and humbleright-angled design with image of the three-bar Savior's cross, solid necklacebale, and words of an Orthodox prayer to Jesus in Church Slavonic inscribed onthe reverse. The Cross appears to have been made from bronze or similar copperalloy. It has unpolished and unevenly cut rough edges and marks from hand grindingtools such as files. This true "Old Rugged Cross" represents ancient"Old Believers" faith.... Origin likely c.18th century Imperial Russia(according to the available literature describing similar findings; please seethe last picture for a reference). The Cross shows other signs of wear andaging including reduced quality of images and inscriptions, scratches, dentsand deformations, and original uncleaned patina accumulated in the course ofcenturies. The size of the Cross is shown on the photographs for thelisting. The obverse bears animage of the three-bar Suppedaneum cross. The three-bar cross is veneratedin the Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches as the True Savior’s Cross.Such a cross has three horizontal crossbeams: the top one represents the"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 top end of thevertical crossbar of the pendant bears a four-letter abbreviatedinscription in Church Slavonic meaning "KING OF GLORY JESUSCHRIST". The Kingship of Jesus is also symbolized by the shape of thenecklace loop resembling the shape of a Byzantine-style crown.Parallel to the verticalcrossbar, there are images of the two Instruments of the Passion (Arms ofChrist, Arma Christi), the Holy Lance (spear) of a Roman soldier, and the HolySponge attached to the end of a cane. They are subjects to adoration along withthe Cross, and are often depicted on the Byzantine-style "Golgotha"crosses worn as baptismal, body crosses for the entire life of a faithfulChristian. The reverse is filledwith the text of the prayer to the Lord Jesus according to the Russian Orthodoxtradition in Church Slavonic: "LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, BLESS, SANCTIFY AND PROTECT ME BY THE POWER OF YOUR LIFE-GIVING CROSS". The wordsof the Prayer are worn off but identifiable.
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 U.S. quarter coin, decorative stone and a 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 U.S. quarter coin, decorative stone and a 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.
