RARE ANTIQUE c.18th CENTURY ORTHODOX OLD BELIEVERS CROSS with JESUS PRAYER TEXT for Sale

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RARE ANTIQUE c.18th CENTURY ORTHODOX OLD BELIEVERS CROSS with JESUS PRAYER TEXT For Sale

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RARE ANTIQUE c.18th CENTURY ORTHODOX OLD BELIEVERS CROSS with JESUS PRAYER TEXT:
$59.00

Rare antique medium-sized (approx. 1 7/16\" tall with solid bale) Orthodox Crosspendant featuring an18th century Russian \"OldBelievers\"plain and humble right-angled design with image of thethree-bar Savior\'s Cross with the Instruments of the Passion, and words of anOrthodox prayer to Jesus in abbreviated Church Slavonic inscribed on thereverse.The Cross appears to have been hand made from bronze or similarhistorical copper alloy and decorated with colored enamel (partiallypreserved).Origin likely c.18th century Russia (according to theavailable publications describing similar findings; please see the last picture for a reference).The item shows significant signs of wear consistent with its oldage and devotional wearing, such as reduced quality of artwork,visible deformations of the original shape, scratches or cracks,dents and patches of patina/oxidation. There is a visible crack going through approximately 1/2 width on one side of the lower crossbar that seems still structurally stable (no moving parts when inspected manually/visually). Most of the original thick patinahas been removed using a complex procedure of gentle cleaning and polishing.Theenamel inlays might have lost fragments, dents and cracks, and lost originalcolor due to aging.Some pictures taken under bright illumination could give an impression that the metal is silvery,but its real color shows some yellow (brass-like) tone reflecting presence of copper in the metal alloy.The size of the Cross is shown on the photographs for this listing.This Cross is sold as a collectibleobject and is not recommended for daily wearing because of potential fragilityand unknown chemical composition of the enamel.

The origin of the Crossis likely associated with the Pomorian community also known as\"Pomortsy\" founded in late 17th century in the Russian Northernregion of Karelia on the banks of the Vyg river. The \"Pomortsy\" OldBelievers soon became famous for their most beautiful, detailed cast copperartwork, such as Orthodox \"body\" crosses and icons, often decoratedwith enamels of various colors similar to those preserved on this Cross.

The obverse bears an image of the three-bar Suppedaneum cross. The three-bar cross is venerated as the true Savior\'s Cross in the Eastern Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches. Such a cross has three horizontal crossbeams: the top one represents the \"INRI\" nameplate, and the bottom one, a footrest. The footrest crossbeam is depicted pointing up, toward Heaven, on Christ\'s right hand side where the Penitent thief, St. Dismas was crucified.

The top end of the vertical crossbar of the pendant bears a monogram orabbreviation in Church Slavonic \"ЦЬ С I.X.\" meaning \"King ofGlory Jesus Christ\". The Kingship of Jesus is also symbolized by the shapeof the necklace bale resembling the shape of a Byzantine-style crown. The leftand right side ends of the horizontal crossbar bear two additional ChurchSlavonic monograms, \"ГА\" meaning \"Head of Adam\", and\"МЛ\" meaning \"Place of the Skull\". These monograms arerelated to a symbolic image of the skull, or Adam\'s head, buried below theSavior\'s Cross. It refers to Golgotha (Calvary), the elevated site where Jesuswas crucified, which the Bible says means \"the Place of the Skull\" inHebrew. An ancient tradition of Catholic and Orthodox Churches held that it wasalso the burial place of Adam, thus also symbolizing the ultimate victory ofChrist over sin and death.

Parallel to the vertical crossbar, there are images of the two Instruments of the Passion (Arms of Christ, Arma Christi), the Holy Lance (spear) of a Roman soldier, and the Holy Sponge attached to the end of a cane. They are subjects to adoration along with the Cross, and are often depicted on the Byzantine-style \"Golgotha\" crosses worn as baptism body crosses for the entire life of a faithful Christian.

The reverseis filled with abbreviated Church Slavonic text of the prayer to Lord Jesus according to the Russian Orthodox tradition translating as: \"LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, BLESS, SANCTIFY AND PROTECT ME BY THE POWER OF YOUR LIFE-GIVING CROSS\".

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.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 . International buyers, please 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.