ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \"OLD BELIEVERS\" LARGE \"SKULL\" COPPER-IRON CROSS PENDANT
![ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \](img-large/g/0fIAAOSw7OVak2xD/s-l1600/ANTIQUE-RUSSIAN-ORTHODOX-OLD-BELIEVERS-LARGE-SKULL.jpg "ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \")
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ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \"OLD BELIEVERS\" LARGE \"SKULL\" COPPER-IRON CROSS PENDANT:
$69.00
Antique Russian Orthodox \"Old Believers\'\" large cross pendant cast from a copper alloy, likely containing some iron (has magnetic properties). The cross is worn out due to aging and devotional wearing as a body, baptism cross, and is covered with original dark green patina. Imperial Russian origin, handmade likely circa 18th-19th century. Authentic artifact from Europe. The Cross and its necklace loop are 100% sound, robust, and wearable.
The obverse of the cross pendant bears aByzantine-like Suppedaneum cross, surrounded with the Instruments of the Passion of Christ, such as the Holy Lance (spear) and the Holy Sponge attached to the end of a cane, several inscriptions made with Cyrillic letters, and a tiny image of the skull, or the Adam\'s head buried below the cross.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, according to the Church tradition, the Penitent thief, St. Dismas was crucified.
In such a cross\' depiction, the \"INRI\" inscription made by Pontius Pilate, is considered blasphemous, and is not used as the nameplate. Instead, the top end of the cross pendant bears an abbreviation in Church Slavonic which means \"KING OF GLORY\".
The left and right sides next to the ends of the horizontal crossbeam bear the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ, as the \"IC XC\" Greek Christogram. Just below the Christogram, there is the \"NIKA\" inscription made with the Cyrillic letters (Greek: \"VICTORIOUS\"). This is an ancient Byzantine symbol of the Christ\'s victory over the corruption of 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 or spear of a Roman soldier,
and the Holy Sponge attached to the end of a \"cane\" or s stick. The instruments are marked with two small Cyrillic letters inscribed within the lower, \"footrest\" horizontal crossbar
as \"K\" (for \"KOPIYE\" meaning \"SPEAR\") and \"T\" (for \"TROST\" meaning \"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.
An image of the skull, or Adam\'s head, below the image of the Suppedaneum cross refers to Golgotha (Calvary), the elevated site where Jesus was crucified, which the Bible says means \"the place of the skull\" in Hebrew. An ancient tradition of Catholic and Orthodox Churches held that it was also the burial place of Adam, thus also symbolizing 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 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 or 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.
ANTIQUE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \"OLD BELIEVERS\" LARGE \"SKULL\" COPPER-IRON CROSS PENDANT:
$69.00