ANTIQUE SOLID SILVER 84 RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \"OLD BELIEVERS\" CROSS PENDANT with STAR
![ANTIQUE SOLID SILVER 84 RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \](img-large/g/eocAAOSw881ZqqVh/s-l1600/ANTIQUE-SOLID-SILVER-84-RUSSIAN-ORTHODOX-OLD-BELIE.jpg "ANTIQUE SOLID SILVER 84 RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \")
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
ANTIQUE SOLID SILVER 84 RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \"OLD BELIEVERS\" CROSS PENDANT with STAR:
$79.00
Beautifully preserved, \"Museum-like\" antique condition. Solid silver of most likely Imperial Russian origin, bears the \"84\" silver hallmark, and covered with patches of silver patina. Byzantine Russian Orthodox cross pendant featuring simple design and rich symbolic meaning. Handmade by a master silversmith likely c. 19th century. The necklace loop is strong and robust. The cross is slightly bent, scratched and worn out due to its age and wearing. Authentic artifact from Europe. 100% sound and wearable.
The ends of the crossbars are \"budded\", with shapes of three circles, or \"buds\" each. In a Christian context, such a design could symbolically represent the Holy Trinity, similarly to the three-leaved clover, or Shamrock.
The obverse of the cross pendant bears aByzantine-like Suppedaneum cross surrounded by floral, vine-like decorations, and an abbreviated inscription in Cyrillic letters. 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 top end of the vertical crossbarincorporates the two-letter, abbreviated inscription meaning\"KING OF GLORY\" used in the Eastern Orthodox pectoral crosses as a nameplate in their top part.
The Cross is heavily decorated with the vine, 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).
A five-pointed star, or so called \"reversed\" Pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is depicted in the bottom, just below the cross. Such a symbol is often associated with evil as it resembles a two-horned goat, or the Devil. Similarly to the Skull with crossbones, a reverse Pentagram depicted below the Cross serves as a symbol of Christ\'s victory over sin and death.
The reverse of the cross pendant bears a two-letter abbreviation made with Cyrillic letters which probably was a trademark of the silversmith, and the \"84\" hallmark of silver, which was the Imperial Russian standard for silver based on the ancient \"zolotnik\" unit.
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.
ANTIQUE SOLID SILVER 84 RUSSIAN ORTHODOX \"OLD BELIEVERS\" CROSS PENDANT with STAR:
$79.00