Antique LARGE STERLING SILVER 84 Russian Orthodox Cross inlaid two color enamel

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Antique LARGE STERLING SILVER 84 Russian Orthodox Cross inlaid two color enamel:
$149.00

Gorgeous, rare, large antique Eastern (Russian) Orthodox or Eastern/Greek Catholic cross. Handmade from sterling silver, \"84\" hallmark (cast, soldered and struck by hand of a silversmith), inlaid with two-colored, green and blue enamels, largely preserved. The loop is in perfect, likely original condition. Overall great vintage condition, lightly bent, scratched and worn out likely due to devotional wearing, covered with spots of light silver patina, the enamels are partially lost. Could have been worn as a \"body\" (worn below all garments and underwear), Baptism pectoral cross. Bears the \"MC\" maker\'s mark, likely of Mikhail Sokolov of Moscow (second half of the 19th century).
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 Subpedaneum cross surrounded by floral, vine-like decorations, and several inscriptions with 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 \"budded\" end of the vertical crossbar bears the \"INRI\" nameplate as an inscription in Cyrillic letters.The left and right side \"budded\" ends of the horizontal crossbar are ending with the two abbreviations forming the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ, as the \"IC XC\" Greek-style Christogram.
The bottom, wider end of the vertical crossbar pendant is heavily decorated with the vine, a symbolic representation of a new growth coming from the Lige-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 reverse of the cross pendant bears the \"MC\" two-letter abbreviation with Cyrillic letters, likely a trademark of the silversmith, Mikhail Sokolov of Moscow (1860-1890), and the \"84\" hallmark of sterling 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.