ANTIQUE 1880-1890s RUSSIAN SILVER \"84\" ORTHODOX LARGER HAND-CARVED ORNATE CROSS

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ANTIQUE 1880-1890s RUSSIAN SILVER \"84\" ORTHODOX LARGER HAND-CARVED ORNATE CROSS:
$89.00

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Antique, rare, larger hand-carved silver Orthodox Cross pendant. Handmade of hallmarked solid silver c. 1880-1890s, bears the \"84\" silver hallmark, mark of the Kostroma city, and a maker\'s mark. Byzantine Russian Orthodox cross pendant featuring simple design and rich symbolic meaning. The cross is mildly deformed/bent, scratched and worn out due to its age and wearing, and covered with patches of dark silver patina. The original necklace loop was likely missing at some point of the cross\' history; a small hole was made by a master silversmith to allow wearing the cross as a necklace. Authentic artifact from Europe, sound and wearable.Could have been worn as a \"bodily\" (worn below all garments and underwear) pectoral cross.
Exact origin is determined based on the Imperial Russian Kostroma city mark (small ship next to the 84 hallmark) known to be used in 1880s-1890s. Kostroma city is a part of the famous Russian \"Golden Ring\", a ring of ancient cities and towns northeast of Moscow with the most beautiful medieval Orthodox monasteries, churches and cathedrals with golden \"onion-like\" domes.
The obverse of the cross pendant bears a traditional,Byzantine-like Suppedaneum crosssurrounded by floral, vine-like decorations.The wider crossbar ends decorated with the vine-shaped ornament, and a flower image incorporated into the bottom crossbar end, create a symbolic representation of a new growth coming from the Life-Giving Cross, and a reminder of Christ\'s preaching according to the Saint John\'s Gospel: \"I am the vine; you are the branches\" (John 15:5).
The Byzantine three-bar cross is used in the 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.
On this cross, the \"INRI\" inscription is made using Cyrillic letters on a symbolic \"nameplate\" incorporated into the top end of the cross.The side ends of the cross incorporate round \"medallions\" bearing the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ, as the \"IC XC\" Greek Christogram.
The reverse of the cross pendant bears a two-letter abbreviation with Cyrillic letters \"AX\", likely a trademark of a 19th century Imperial Russian silversmith,the \"84\" hallmark of sterling silver, which was the Imperial Russian standard for silver based on the ancient \"zolotnik\" unit, and the city mark (Kostroma, 1880s-1890s).
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, measuring meter, and decorative stone 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 artifacts 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 buyers, please ask me for a shipping quote 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.

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ANTIQUE 1880-1890s RUSSIAN SILVER \"84\" ORTHODOX LARGER HAND-CARVED ORNATE CROSS:
$89.00